Authorities on Tuesday identified two men found dead after a fire inside a utility vault beneath a downtown Fresno bridge overpass.

The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office identified the men as Johnny Torres, 57, and Antonio Corona, 50, both of Fresno.

The two were found Monday after firefighters extinguished a fire inside the vault beneath the H Street overpass at Fresno Street, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Firefighters were dispatched shortly after 8:20 a.m. after reports of smoke in the area. When crews arrived, they determined the smoke was coming from a utility vault beneath the bridge. Construction workers nearby told firefighters they had seen homeless individuals entering the vault earlier in the morning, the department said.

Because of the hazardous conditions, firefighters called in the Fresno Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, Hazardous Materials Team and emergency medical personnel. Officials said the incident involved a confined space with fire conditions and energized electrical utilities, requiring specialized equipment and training.

The vault serves as a major electrical distribution circuit for downtown Fresno, officials said.

Pacific Gas and Electric crews shut off power to the vault before firefighters entered through an access hatch and extinguished the fire.

During a search of the vault, firefighters found the two men inside and removed them from the confined space. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Power remained shut off Monday to the affected electrical system, impacting multiple downtown city blocks.

Fire investigators and law enforcement officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire.

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