Two people dead in El Dorado County house fire. Cause under investigation, sheriff says

Two people were found dead in rural El Dorado County after an early-morning fire engulfed a house on New Year’s Day, deputies said.

Around 3:50 a.m. the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, Pioneer Fire Protection District and Cal Fire responded to a structure fire in the 7000 block of Mt. Aukum Road in Somerset, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

At the time of the fire, the residence was reportedly occupied by multiple people, the law enforcement agency said.

“Fire personnel were able to extinguish the structure fire,” a El Dorado County Sheriff’s news release said. “However two individuals were found deceased inside the structure.”

Deputies said the cause of the fire is under investigation, and updates will be provided when available. The victims’ identities will be released by the coroner pending notification of family.

Somerset is an unincorporated community with a population of about 3,500 people. It is southeast of Placerville.

This story was originally published January 1, 2025 at 1:47 PM.