Two adults and one child survived the early morning fire, but three children died. Firefighters spent more than seven hours searching for one of the bodies.

The Callaway County Sheriff released the cause of death for the three children as carbon monoxide poisoning. The victims are identified as Gracie and Chance Wilkerson, ages two and four, and their half-brother Trevor Smith, age six.

Firefighters found six-year-old Trevor Smith's body upstairs in a hallway. They found the other two children, Gracie and Chance Wilkerson, in an upstairs bedroom. 

The fire started on the east side of the home but spread so rapidly that flames engulfed three-fourths of the home before firefighters even made it to the scene.

"She was screaming that her children were still in the house. The flames were already so great that she couldn't go back in after them," said neighbor Lester Perkins.

The two women who lived in the house escaped, and one of them was able to save her daughter. The two women were both single mothers.

Four fire departments put out the fire after several hours. Right now the fire marshal is not sure what caused the blaze, but several state agencies are sifting through the debris as the investigation continues.

The residents of the house were new to the area. A neighbor said the children were playful, the youngest was just old enough to walk around.

This fire comes just three months after another fatal fire that killed two young girls in Holts Summit.

"It's not easy. We're here to save lives. In situations like this, just like in the January fire, there's sometimes a helpless feeling," said Holts Summit Fire Chief Scott Brooks.

A helpless feeling the community is still dealing with.

"It's something you'll never forget. That's for sure. You watch this stuff on the news, but you don't know what it's like until it's right next door," Perkins said. 

The American Red Cross is providing monetary support and counseling services for the families.

You can click on the link on the left side of the page to view a slideshow from the scene.