Firefighters rescued two unconscious young children from a house choked by smoke and flames and an adult was forced to leap from the second story shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday.

In all, six people were injured in the fire in the 1600 block of S. 22nd St.

The injured included the two rescued children and the adult, two other children who escaped on their own and a firefighter. All were taken to area hospitals. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“They were rescued from one of the absolute worst areas they could have been in,” Deputy Chief Aaron Lipski said, referring to the two unconscious children. “They both suffered severe smoke inhalation.”

Lipski said firefighters had to train a hose on the flames while their colleagues rushed inside to save the two children. Both children were described as being in critical condition at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

“I can’t describe how blistering hot that was,” Lipski said.

Names of the injured has not been released.

The fire, which was on the home’s first floor, caused an estimated $250,000 in damage