2 found dead after Highland Park house fire

Two people were found dead after a house fire early Wednesday in north suburban Highland Park.

Authorities were called to the fire at 1:13 a.m. at a home in the 2000 block of Kipling Lane, according to a statement from the City of Highland Park. Firefighters tried to enter the house but were unable to do so “due to heavy smoke and flames.”

After firefighters surrounded the home and put out the blaze, emergency responders found two bodies, officials said.

One of the people was identified as 77-year-old Elaine Gassick, the Lake County Coroner’s Office said. The second body hasn’t yet been identified. Autopsies and toxicology results for both people were pending further investigation.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation Wednesday morning.