Police in Utica say two children have died and other people have been injured in an early morning house fire.

Firefighters were called to Thorn Street in Utica at about 5 a.m. 

Before firefighters responded to the call, Utica Fire Chief Scott Ingersoll said rescue efforts began.

"They did have several people on the front porch roof of the second floor,” Ingersoll said. “A neighbor had grabbed a ladder out of his yard, brought the ladder over to the house, and assisted several of those people from the porch to the ground.”

Ingersoll said the building housed two apartments.

At the time of the fire, he believes eight people had been on the second floor, and one person on the first floor.

When firefighters arrived, he said they wasted no time starting rescue efforts.

"Firefighters were able to break windows to the second floor, use ladders to commence a search on the second floor," Ingersoll said.

Ingersoll said they were notified two children were possibly trapped on the second floor.

He said it was a high-risk situation, with zero visibility and high heat.

"These firefighters performed admirably,” Ingersoll said. “They put themselves out there to save these two children.”

Ingersoll said firefighters found and removed the kids within eight minutes of arriving.

"Unfortunately, both children, despite all life-saving measures by the fire department, police department, and hospital staff, both children succumbed to their injuries," he said.

Chief Ingersoll has a message for the community.

"I just ask that everyone keep the family here that suffered such a tragedy in their thoughts at this time,” Ingersoll said. “This breaks our hearts. It's not the outcome that we had hoped for. Firefighters, police officers, we're going to keep them in our thoughts as well. This is a pretty stressful situation that they're placed under.”

American Red Cross volunteers are helping three adults and two children following the fire.

The fire's cause is being investigated.