Two separate fires Monday left three people dead in Minnesota, authorities said.

West of the Twin Cities in Litchfield,  two bodies were found inside what was left of a residence after a fire early Monday.

According to the Litchfield Police Department, the victims were identified as Gregri Johnson and Barbara Johnson, both 73.

Firefighters responded to a house fire reported at 2:15 a.m. in the 400 block of South Austin Avenue. The residence and attached garage were deemed a total loss after firefighters doused the flames.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

In St. Louis County, authorities discovered a body after a Monday afternoon fire destroyed a building near Island Lake, some 12 miles north of Duluth.

A pole building was reported to be on fire in the 6700 block of Rice Lake Road around 1 p.m., the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said.

As emergency crews arrived, the structure was engulfed in flames and “rescue efforts were not possible due to the extreme fire conditions,” according to a news release. Crews were able to fully extinguish the flames by 4:30 p.m.

It was initially believed that a missing person may have been inside the building, the sheriff’s office reported. Around 8:30 p.m., investigators found the body of a 75-year-old Duluth man, Neil Gordon Hendrickson.

Authorities said Tuesday they believe the blaze was accidentally caused by Hendrickson’s use of a grinder and blowtorch to work on a vehicle, though the investigation is continuing.

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