Three people, including two children, were killed in a fire in West Orange Saturday morning, according to officials.

A memorial was set up outside the Liberty Street home of the three victims.

Although they had not been identified beyond their ages as of Saturday night, town officials say they were 3, 8 and about 70 years old.

Their house is deemed uninhabitable.

Neighbors said the two children lived at the house with their mother and grandmother. The fire, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, began in the kitchen and was reported around 11 a.m.

“Whatever was burning was just smoldering, all the black smoke,” neighbor Warren Davis said. “There were no flames or nothing. And then, partially, what I saw of the kids - the blackness on their legs - I was surprised there wasn’t an explosion.”

Firefighters removed the three victims and attempted lifesaving measures. All were pronounced dead at the scene.

“Rest in peace,” said family friend Dina Milano. “I’ll never forget you.”

Milano said she would sometimes watch the children at the park just up the road from their house.

“I had him two weeks ago, we were here in the park, running around for four hours, we had pizza,” Milano said. “Today, he was going to come swimming, but I wasn’t sure if I was going, so I said tomorrow, and now it’s too late.

Crime scene tape was up for hours. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office website states that it’s protocol to call in the Arson Task Force anytime a fire is fatal.

The crime scene unit was called on-scene. The medical examiner and animal control were also present.

Neighbors said this was the second fire at the house in barely over a year.

“The end of June, they came back,” Milano said. “And now, they’re gone.”

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.