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3 Children Dead During NW Miami House Fire

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Three Miami children died after fire swept through their home Monday morning.

It happened in the 3600 block of NW 18th Terrace.

Neighbors heard screams coming from the house and tried to free the trapped children without success.

"We started breaking windows and sticking our heads in," said neighbor Ranzel Areas who tried to rescue the kids.

Neighbor Roberto Alonso says he made his way inside the home and searched for the children through the thick smoke but could not locate them.

When firefighters arrived, they pulled four children between the ages of one and twelve out of the home.

"The four were unresponsive," said Miami Fire Captain Ignatius Carroll.

All four were given CPR and taken to Ryder Trauma Center. Three of the children died there.

Two women were also taken to the hospital for treatment.

A firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation. The firefighter was released from the hospital Monday night.

Fire investigators say the heaviest smoke damage is in the rear of the home but it's unclear how it started.

"Anyone with kids knows how sad this is, especially a day before the start of the New Year," said Michael Vega of the Miami Police Department.

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