(This story has been updated to add new information, photos and a gallery.)
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was investigating three deaths believed to have occurred in a home fire near Buckeye.
Fire crews responded around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday to a fire at a home near 355th Avenue and Elliot Road in Arlington, southwest of Buckeye.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said a shed on the northwest corner of the property was occupied at the time of the fire and preliminary information indicated that some fatalities were possible. Three bodies were found in an outbuilding on the property after the blaze was extinguished.
The sheriff's office has not released any additional information, such as the identity of the gunman or the cause of the fire. The investigation is ongoing.
Neighbors said the home's residents include an elderly woman, children and teenagers.
Neighbors recalled seeing flashing lights and the sound of sirens after the fire started, but there were few other signs of a fire other than smoke coming from the shed.
“I didn't know what was going on,” said Richard Carlson, who lives across the street, just a few houses down. “I heard sirens, then I saw a helicopter circling the house in a wide area.”
“I was walking my son to school and all of a sudden, everything was blocked off and there were loads of police,” said Marvin Hernandez, who lives down the street and was passing by on his way to drop his son off at school.
Both Carlson and Hernandez said the fire was shocking and neighbors had no idea what was happening.
“I was actually pretty surprised, I was walking by here this morning and it caught me off guard,” Hernandez said. “It was the first time I'd ever seen police on that road.”
Some neighbors reported hearing gunshots, but the sheriff's office has not released any details.
Neighbors said the house and hut were inhabited by many people, but most of the residents were isolated and kept animals in the huts, including llamas and horses.
“I was talking to her last week and she was outside with her llamas and they escaped the barn and ran into the road,” Hernandez said. “We suspect the animals may have died.”
“It's very sad,” Hernandez continued, “Every time a life is lost, whether it's young or old, I feel sad.”
Arrested persons:Buckeye Police arrest two teens in school threat case
