A commercial building fire broke out early Monday morning at a tire and muffler repair shop located on the 800 block of Esperanza Street in East Los Angeles. According to KTLA Morning News, two people were found dead inside the structure.

The fire began around 6:30 a.m. and was extinguished within an hour. The building had stacks of tires aligned on top of the roof, which made it difficult for firefighters to quickly extinguish the flames because tires contain high levels of petroleum.

A man in his 60s was rushed to the USC Medical Center. He was reported to be in critical condition and suffering from second- and third-degree burns over 40 percent of his body.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

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