2 people dead after 'very challenging' house fire in Surrey

Two people are dead after a largefire at a secluded home in Surrey, B.C., early Thursday morning.

Firefighters were called to the houseon 125B Street, near Old Yale Road in the Whalley neighbourhood, just after 4:15 a.m. PT. The top floor of the home was fully engulfed in flames.

Crews pulled two elderly people from the home, but they were pronounced dead.

"[It was a] very challenging fire on arrival," saidSteve Serbic, the assistant chief of operations with theSurrey Fire Service.

The house is difficult to see from the street,surrounded by thick brush and large trees. Neighbours said it was difficult to finda way into the building.

"I come out around 4:15, 4:30 [a.m.] and see the house engulfed," said Jora Chima, who lives next door.

"I got my roommate upand we ran over to see if we could get [the residents]up ... The flames were just too high. Flames shooting 30, 40 feet [9-12 metres] into the air," he continued.

"I wanted to give hats off to the firefighters. They did a really good job for what limited space they had to work with. Because, really, there was no access to get into this place."

Serbic said 34 firefighters and 11 trucks responded to the fire. The RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Service areinvestigating.