2 children die in a house fire near Slagle, Mo.

SLAGLE, Mo. (KY3) - Two children, ages four and five, died after a fire near Slagle in central Polk County.

The fire started just after 2:30 a.m. Wednesday on 142nd Road. A man escaped from the house when firefighters arrived, but the two children were trapped inside. One of the children died at the scene. The other died at the hospital.

“It is unimaginable to have to lose children, you know, they’re so innocent in life. They’re just kids,” said Ashton Neely, who lives nearby. “My heart hurts. I feel for the family so much, and I feel for those precious children. I’m definitely holding my children closer today.”

Other neighbors tell KY3 there was so much first responder activity, it was hard to make sense of what was going on.

“I came outside, and there were like 16 fire trucks up and down the street right here, and they had everything blocked off. You couldn’t even really see. I couldn’t even tell it was that house until I got up over here,” said Amanda Manes, who also lives nearby. “It’s just sad, with the children being involved, and there’s just a lot of stuff that’s not really making sense.”

The fire marshal is investigating the cause. The Central Polk County Fire Protection District said there was at least one smoke detector found in the home, but firefighters weren’t sure if it was working or not.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.