( CNN ) -- Eight people who died in a fire in an abandoned building in New Orleans , Louisiana , overnight are believed to have been in their late teens or early 20s , the city fire department said Tuesday . The victims , who were in a small warehouse in the Upper Ninth Ward , are believed to have been homeless and were burning a fire to stay warm , officials said . Two squatters tried to wake the others but had to eventually flee through a window in the tin building , authorities said . A fire department dispatcher said the call came in shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday . `` The area is known to be frequented by transients , '' said fire department spokesman Capt . Edwin Holmes Jr. Those inside apparently were burning trash in a barrel , Holmes said . An investigator indicated the bottom of the barrel may have burned through , Holmes said . Authorities also found the remains of two dogs . Chief Charles Parent told CNN affiliate WDSU that the victims may have sough warmth inside the building as temperatures dipped below freezing in the area . A freeze warning was in effect for the region early Tuesday , WDSU reported . Holmes said that numerous phone calls Tuesday indicated that some of the victims may have been from out of town . The building is less than a mile from the French Quarter and was likely abandoned before Hurricane Katrina . Many of the victims may have known each other by nicknames , Holmes said . The area is known for panhandling , he said . Authorities were in the process of identifying the badly burned victims , who may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning or smoke inhalation , Holmes said .
NEW : Victims were in their late teens or early 20s . WDSU : The victims may have sought warmth from freezing temperatures . The victims are believed to have been homeless . The call came in shortly before 2 a.m .