The Fire Department responded to a residential structure fire in the 1100 block of Gunnison Avenue at 9:46 a.m. after receiving reports from callers of visible smoke and flames coming from the windows on the home.

Firefighters entered the home and located two individuals who were taken out of the home and given immediate medical treatment on scene, according to a Fire Department release. The patients were transported to a local hospital and later succumbed to the injuries they sustained in the fire.

In addition to the two human victims, a dog and a cat also perished in the fire.

Fire crews extinguished the fire and searched the structure. They confirmed there were no additional victims of the fire.

Grand Junction Fire Department Spokesperson Dirk Clingman said the fire required a direct, offensive attack in which crews went in aggressively to look for victims and knock down the fire to save as many people and as much property as possible.

Five fire apparatuses initially responded to the fire, Clingman said, which is standard for a residential structure fire.

Clingman said there appeared to be limited damage to the house, but wouldn’t be able to say what will happen to it after the fire.

The fire was initially close to other structures, Clingman said, but crews were able to mitigate what quickly and there was no danger to other structures or the greater neighborhood.

The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation. The Mesa County Coroner’s Office will release the identities of the deceased once proper next-of-kin notifications have been made.

Gunnison Avenue was temporarily closed between 11th and 12th streets while fire crews worked to extinguish the fire.