3 children die in Cecil County house fire

Maryland fire investigators says three children are dead and their mother is in critical condition after an early morning fire in Cecil County.

The State Fire Marshal's office says the children's mother, 29-year-old Jewel Johnson, reported the fire at the townhouse on Cedar Hill Circle in North East around 3:30 a.m. Saturday.

Johnson was rescued from a first-floor roof and flown to Johns Hopkins Bayview Burn Center, where she is listed in critical condition with burns and smoke inhalation.

The fire marshal's office says the children's bodies were found on the second floor of the townhouse and taken to the Office of the State Medical Examiner to confirm their identities and cause of death.

The origin and cause of the fire is still under investigation.

--Associated Press