House fire kills two people in South Lincoln

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A home located at the corner of 11th and Van Dorn Steets in Lincoln, went up in flames early Friday morning killing two people.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue says that the first victim was found in the basement, which is most likely where the fire began.

The fire crews used a plethora of tools to investigate if the house was structurally sound, such as a ladders, search cameras and a drone.

Before they found the second victim, an excavator was brought in to tear down most of the wall.

“Flames were visible from two sides of the structure from the windows,” said MJ Lierman, a spokesperson for Lincoln Fire and Rescue.

Nebraska Task Force One and a canine was also called to the scene to aid in the investigation and search for the second victim.

“There were a lot of obstacles for them getting into the home,” said Lierman.

“There was a lot of debris and things that were making it difficult for them to do the fire attack and the searches.”

LFR describing the condition of the home as a hoarding situation. The home was filled with combustible items. Piles of wood could also be seen across the lawn, along what appeared to be bags of trash.

A neighbor, Skiler King, has lived across from the home for several years.

She says two brothers lived at the residence, who she spoke with often. Both men were retired veterans who told her they served in Iraq together. King added one of the brothers was disabled.

“He didn’t walk a lot, but they have helped out this neighborhood so much,” said King.

“When we had the storms, and the trees all fell throughout our neighborhood even the one, he can’t walk, but he was going down the street with a chainsaw to go and help out.”

The damage to the home is reported to be nearly 250,000 dollars.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Lincoln Police Department. The identities of the two victims have yet to be confirmed.