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Two people, dog found dead inside burning vacant office building in midtown Sacramento

Two people were found dead inside a vacant office building that caught fire in midtown Sacramento early Tuesday.

Sacramento Fire Department firefighters discovered their bodies and a dog that also died inside the building in the 1000 block of 19th Street. All three were found in an office space inside the vacant building.

Fire crews arrived at what officials described as heavy smoke and fire conditions just before 6 a.m. It was during a secondary search of the structure, adjacent to the building occupied by Old Spaghetti Factory, that crews made their discovery.

Temperatures in the clear, cold overnight hours were at or below freezing into early Tuesday as firefighters worked to knock down the flames. Morning temperatures in the Sacramento area were forecast to be near or below freezing through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office has not yet identified the two victims.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Sacramento firefighters stand outside a vacant building at 19th and J streets that burned on Tuesday in midtown. A male, a female and a dog were found dead inside the building after an early morning fire.
Sacramento firefighters stand outside a vacant building at 19th and J streets that burned on Tuesday in midtown. A male, a female and a dog were found dead inside the building after an early morning fire. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com
A Sacramento firefighter walks into a vacant office building at 19th and J streets that burned Tuesday in midtown. A male, a female and a dog were found dead inside the building after an early morning fire.
A Sacramento firefighter walks into a vacant office building at 19th and J streets that burned Tuesday in midtown. A male, a female and a dog were found dead inside the building after an early morning fire. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com

This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 7:32 AM.

Darrell Smith
The Sacramento Bee
Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.
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