2 children die in Aurora house fire, several others hurt

Two children died in a house fire that started late Wednesday night in Aurora. One was a 2-year-old and one was 9.

The fire broke out just before 11:30 p.m. in a home on the 2800 block of South Oakland Circle near Yale Avenue and Peoria Street. Nine people were in the house at the time.

All of the people were taken to the hospital. Four children were in critical condition on Thursday morning. Two adults and another child were released from the hospital after being treated. 

Officials from Aurora Fire Rescue wrote in a Facebook post that "crews quickly accessed the victims and removed them from the building."

"The fire was quickly brought under control and searches for any other trapped parties were completed. A dog was located and safely rescued," they wrote.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Neighbor Nan Page-Stevens said there were more firetrucks and police cars than she'd seen in her life as responders mounted ladders on the house to get to the bedrooms on the second floor.

One firefighter cradled a baby and sprinted toward an ambulance, Page-Stevens recalled.

"The saddest was the little one," she said, through tears.

Just days before, she had taken the kids red, white and blue popsicles.