Maketa: Fire deaths to be investigated as homicide

El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa told NBC's Today Show this morning (Friday) that the two deaths in the Black Forest Fire discovered Thursday are being investigated as homicides. Fire investigators have not yet announced a cause of the blaze but authorities say they've been sifting through debris in the area where it started. The identities of the fire victims haven't been announced. Maketa said Thursday they were found in a garage, where a vehicle was parked with doors open, as if they were still packing to evacuate.

UPDATE: At the 9 AM press conference, Sheriff Maketa clarified his statements, saying the investigation as homicide is procedural.

"When I say 'homicide investigation,' it's because we have two deceased people," Maketa said. "And we investigate it and treat it as though it's a crime until we prove otherwise. It does not imply anything, it's common terminology that we use."