A Saturday night fire near Butler, Missouri, claims the lives of two children.

 

The fire occurred in rural Bates County about 25 miles north of Nevada. Emergency calls came in around 11:30 Saturday night. When fire crews arrived on the scene, they found a house fully engulfed in flames. Five people were in the house when the fire broke out, but two children – both only two years old – were unable to escape the flames and were pronounced deceased at the scene by the Bates County Coroner.

 

Three other residents made it out of the house and were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment for their injuries. Units from multiple agencies responded to the fire.

 

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the Bates County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office.