CECIL COUNTY, Md.
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A two-alarm fire in Cecil County has claimed the lives of three children.
The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said the fire broke out shortly before 3:30 a.m. Saturday at a townhome at 50 Cedar Hill Circle in North East.
The bodies of the three children were found on the second floor.
The 29-year-old mother of the children, identified as Jewel Johnson, was rushed to Bayview Medical Center with burns over 17 percent of her body and smoke inhalation injuries. She was listed in critical but stable condition.
Johnson was rescued from the roof of the house.
It took crews close to three hours to bring the fire under control.
The State Fire Marshal's Office said the home was equipped with smoke detectors, but it was unclear if they were functioning at the time of the fire.
The fire displaced 18 people in the townhome community.
The Red Cross was providing assistance to those affected. There was no word on a cause of the blaze.
About $350,000 worth of damage was reported to the structure.
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