4 children, 2 others severely burned in Mesa apartment fire

MESA, Ariz. - Six people, including several children, suffered serious burns in an apartment fire in Mesa on Saturday morning.

What we know:

The Mesa Fire Department responded to a third-alarm fire at the Dobson Glen Condos, just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 24. 

The two adults and four kids, ranging in ages from six months to 13 years old, were found with serious burns and were taken to the Valleywise Health Burn Center for specialized burn care. One of the children was airlifted from Banner Desert to the burn center. 

The two adults and three of the children are considered to be in critical condition. The fourth child is in serious condition. 

Around 30 residents in the building were evacuated and taken to a nearby junior high school " to get them out of the cold and provide support," the department said. By Saturday afternoon, many people were back in their homes, but neighbors say at least eight units could be a total loss.

What they're saying:

"I just pray for those people," said neighbor Susan Paschall. "There were so many fire trucks and they just kept coming."

Paschall lives across the street and woke up to sirens before seeing smoke.

"Definitely a scary situation that happened here today," added Jesse Flores, another neighbor.

Neighbors say the fire took at least five hours to put out, with firefighters calling the conditions "extreme." Flores said he had embers landing in his yard.

"Flames were still really, really, really high," Flores said. "It seemed like they were hitting them with water, and the flames got bigger instead of dying down. I don’t wish this upon anybody."

Dig deeper:

Dr. Frank LoVecchio, an emergency physician and public health doctor, says treating these kinds of injuries can be complex.

"You can imagine that if there's a fire around and I inhale the hot air, I inhale all the carbonaceous stuff," LoVecchio said. "All that stuff can kind of go into your lungs and that can cause lots of problems."

He added that recovery can be a long road.

"There's people in the burn unit that are here sometimes for weeks to months," LoVecchio said.

"American Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers responded to a multi-family apartment fire earlier today in Mesa, providing immediate assistance to those affected. Working alongside local partners, volunteers helped address urgent needs and offered support to help individuals and families begin their recovery," the Red Cross said in a statement. 

What we don't know:

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

"Due to the extent of the damage, it may take several days to complete the investigation and determine the origin," Mesa fire crews said.

What you can do:

A GoFundMe was made to support the family. 

Map of where the fire broke out.