2 children and one adult killed in house fire in West Orange

According to officials, three people, including two children, were killed in a fire in West Orange on Saturday morning.

A memorial was erected in front of the home of the three victims on Liberty Street.

Although no identification beyond their age was possible until Saturday evening, authorities assume that the perpetrators are 3, 7 and about 70 years old.

Their house is considered uninhabitable.

Neighbors said the two children lived in the house with their mother and grandmother. The fire broke out in the kitchen and was reported around 11 a.m., according to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.

“Whatever was burning, it was just smoldering, all that black smoke,” said neighbor Warren Davis. “There were no flames or anything. And then what I saw of some of the kids – the blackness on their legs – surprised me that there was no explosion.”

Firefighters rescued the three victims and attempted to save their lives. All were pronounced dead at the scene.

“Rest in peace,” said family friend Dina Milano. “I will never forget you.”

Milano said she sometimes watched the children in the park just up the street from her house.

“I had him two weeks ago, we were here at the park, walking around for four hours and eating pizza,” Milano said. “Today he wanted to go swimming, but I wasn’t sure if I would go, so I said tomorrow, and now it’s too late.”

The crime scene was cordoned off for hours. The Essex County District Attorney’s website states that protocol requires calling the fire prevention task force in the event of a fatal fire.

The forensic team was called to the scene. The coroner and animal control were also on site.

Neighbors said this was the second fire in the house in just over a year.

“They came back at the end of June,” Milano said. “And now they’re gone.”

The cause of the fire was initially unknown.