Two critical after early morning house fire

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-An elderly man and woman were hospitalized in critical condition after a house fire in Idaho Falls early Sunday.

Neighbors called firefighters to the 700 block of Melrose Drive at 1:24 a.m. Sunday. They saw flames coming out of the garage and back of the home and could hear windows breaking.

Neighbors knocked on the locked front door, but got no answer. Four officers from the Idaho Falls Police Department and an Idaho State Police trooper arrived first and kicked in the door to the living room.

They found the two people unconscious in the thick smoke. Smoke detectors were going offf inside the home.

They gave the man and woman medical assistance until the Fire Department arrived. They were taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in critical condition.

The police officers were also taken to the hospital and evaluated for smoke inhalation, but were not seriously injured.

The fire was largely controlled by 1:41 a.m.

Smoke damage was extensive and there was heavy fire damage to the back living room and kitchen, according to a Fire Department news release. The cause of the fire is under investigation.