Three people were killed after a house fire near John, Alta.

Emergency crews were called to a home in the Darbyton Estates area at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they believed several people were inside the burning house when they arrived.

When the fire broke out, the bodies of three adults were found in the remains of the structure. Police say they have been preliminarily identified, but autopsies are expected to confirm the identities.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing, but the Canadian police say it is not believed to be deliberate and say in a statement that there are suspicions about the causes of the fire, hinting at an intentional criminal act against three people and that the fire's main role was to conceal evidence of the crime.