An investigation was continuing Tuesday to pinpoint the cause of a Lake Elsinore house fire that killed two children — aged 1 and 2 — and left six other people injured.
The deadly fire was reported about 2:45 p.m. Monday in the 32900 block of Blackwell Boulevard, near Brightman Avenue in the Lakeland Village community, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Crews sent to the location encountered flames in multiple rooms of the single-story residence, with heavy smoke in the attached garage. As firefighters were clearing the garage, they found the children’s bodies, a battalion chief said.
Officials said the first firefighters on the scene reported a downed electrical line, but the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
The toddlers’ names have not been released. Friends of the family told KCAL9 the children — a boy and girl — were siblings, and that their mother, great-grandmother and the girl’s 1-year-old twin were injured in the fire.
A neighbor told the station neighbors tried to break the windows of the home when they saw the fire break out, but “the fire was so intense, the smoke was so intense, it was so difficult.”
Authorities said the survivors — five adults and one child — were taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar for treatment of various injuries, including burns.
Several dogs were also injured, and the Department of Animal Services was requested to assist in taking them to veterinary clinics for care.