Firefighters discover two bodies found inside burning building - Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

What started as a fire scene quickly turned to a death investigation inside a Chatham apartment Wednesday. Police say two women were found stabbed to death prior to the intentionally set fire in the first floor unit.

The fire started about 3:45 p.m. at a building in the 8100 block of South Maryland Avenue and was quickly extinguished, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

"It was smoke coming out the building on the first floor," neighbor Jabari Davis says.

While searching the building, firefighters found two people dead inside and called police, Langford said.

Police said the women were found dead in a bathroom, and each was stabbed multiple times.

"Somebody got killed and that's unfortunate," says Chatham resident Dameon Williams. "Hopefully they find out what happened and get to the bottom of it."

A Cook County Medical Examiner's office spokesman said the bodies of two women--Curtria Duncan, 24, and her step-mother, 43-year-old Cherie Adams--were pronounced dead on the scene at 5:35 p.m.

Both women suffered multiple stab wounds, according to the medical examiner's office, which will perform autopsies Thursday.

"I feel sad about it, that's crazy," says Meka, a neighbor. "I don't know who killed them but they need to get themselves together."

Area South detectives are investigating the deaths as homicides and have also opened an arson investigation, police said.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.