2 children killed in central Oregon home fire; cause unknown

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire in central Oregon that killed two children.

KTVZ-TV reports that members of the children’s family escaped the home in the blaze, which was reported before 6 a.m. on Saturday in a largely off-grid Juniper Acres subdivision of Crook County east of the unincorporated community of Alfalfa, sheriff’s deputies said.

Crook County sheriff’s deputies and firefighters arrived to find the home fully engulfed by flames, sheriff’s Sgt. Javier Sanchez said in a statement.

“Most family members safely made it out of the house,” Sanchez said, adding that “even with the quick response from law enforcement, Fire and Rescue and residents on scene, two children were not able to get out and are deceased due to the fire.”

The children were under 12 years of age, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.

Sanchez asked anyone with information about the fire to contact the sheriff’s office.

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This story has been updated to correct that the home is near the community of Alfalfa, not Prineville.