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2 dead in Kensington blaze punctuated by gunfire

Two men died in a flaming Kensington rowhouse Saturday afternoon during a harrowing episode in which firefighters and police were stalled by gunfire from within the building before it collapsed, police said.

Two men died in a flaming Kensington rowhouse Saturday afternoon during a harrowing episode in which firefighters and police were stalled by gunfire from within the building before it collapsed, police said.

Neither of the dead men had been identified, said Lt. Ray Evers, a police spokesman. He said the cause of their deaths and the origin of the fire are under investigation.

One of the men appeared to have been fatally shot in the head by the other inside the rowhouse, Evers said. The gunman then exchanged fire with two or three police officers, he said, but it was not yet known whether he was struck by any police bullets.

No officers or firefighters at the scene were injured, Evers said.

The fire was reported just before noon in the 3300 block of Rand Street. Firefighters found heavy flames - and the sound of gunfire - coming from the second floor.

Police arrived to find a man who appeared to be dead of a gunshot to the head at the foot of the interior stairway, Evers said. A second man at the top of the stairs shot at police, who returned fire and backed out of the building.

The officers called for help from a SWAT team, Evers said, but the second floor of the house collapsed before the reinforcements arrived.

By about 12:30 p.m., firefighters had the blaze under control. Two bodies were later found inside, Evers said.

Police had not determined the nature of the dead men's dispute. Evers said investigators are looking into the possibility of a domestic problem.

"Very rarely do we have a job like this," he said.

Autopsies will be conducted to determine the causes of death and to confirm the men's identities, Evers said.