Officials are reporting severe injuries for victims of a fire that ignited inside a house in Elizabeth this evening.
According to preliminary information, heavy fire ripped through a mixed-use building with a store on the ground level and an apartment on the top in the 800 block of Elizabeth Avenue just before 6 p.m.
Crews arrived at the scene and found fire ripping through the building and extending to an adjacent structure.
Officials say firefighters were told that several occupants were trapped inside the apartments.
Crews began to beat down flames before forcing entry into the apartments where they found unconscious and unresponsive victims.
Officials say three victims were rushed to the hospital suffering life-threatening injuries.
As of 6:25 p.m., the blaze was not considered under control.
Union, Scotch Plains, Mountainside and Linden were some of several departments assisting in the operation.
The cause is under investigation.
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