Two Found Dead After House Fire In Naperville

Updated 12/18/13 - 3:36 p.m.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) -- Two people were killed, and three others were injured, when a fire swept through a home in west suburban Naperville on Tuesday.

A neighbor spotted flames and smoke coming from the rear of a home at 1212 Field Court in Naperville, and called 911 around 6:50 a.m., according to the Naperville Fire Department.

When crews arrived on the scene, flames were shooting through the roof, and firefighters learned two people were trapped inside the home. A gas leak and explosion is believed to be the cause of the fire.

While firefighters were able to rescue others from he building, they had to evacuate due to concerns the house would collapse. After firefighters were able to re-enter the home, they found two adults dead in the rear of the home.

Tom Lambert, a psychologist, and his wife, Jan, were killed. Dr. Lambert had been battling brain cancer, and Jan Lambert was blind.

Dr. Lambert's father and sister, in town to care for the couple, escaped the fire. However, a 21-year-old caregiver was critically hurt and is being treated at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

The fire was so intense that it burned through the second floor, causing it to collapse onto the first floor. The blaze was raging when firefighters arrived.

"That made it nearly impossible for us to gain entry to recover those bodies inside," said Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis.

Family friend Lee Thomsen came here when he heard the news and said he had visited often.

"With a blind wife and a husband with brain cancer, they needed help," Thomsen said.