BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Emergency responders arriving at the scene of a car fire Monday morning discovered three bodies inside, and investigators quickly labeled the deaths suspicious.

The fire was reported by someone heading to work just before 4 a.m., and the bodies were discovered after firefighters doused the flames, said Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards.

The blaze was hot enough to burst the car's windows and pop its tires, leaving the charred remains of a sedan with its hood up, witnesses said. Several hours later, the state's deputy chief medical examiner arrived to begin the process of removing and identifying the bodies.

The car was in the parking lot of a business called Automatic Distributors, a parts and equipment wholesaler for all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, off-road motorcycles and other outdoor activities.

Police were checking surveillance video from Automatic Distributors, Edwards told WZON-AM.

The Bangor police department and state fire marshal's office set up command posts across the street.