Woman, 3 children die in Ohio house fire; officials say there were no smoke detectors

A fire roared through a two-story house early Friday, killing a woman and her three children, while a passer-by helped rescue others from the flames, officials said.

Investigators think the fire started in the rear of the house, but no cause was immediately determined.

Killed in the fire were Lisa Rose and her children, 3-year-old Aleia Lynn Rose; 2-year-old Annabelle Rose; and 11-month-old Allison Rose, the fire chief said.

A passer-by pulled some of the people from the house, fire Chief William Raison said.

Albert Moore; Ruth Moore, 67; and Clarence "Jim" McWilliams, 75, escaped the blaze, Raison said. They were taken to the Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, about 85 miles north of this city along the Ohio River, and were listed in critical condition, Raison said.

The home was not equipped with smoke detectors, said Shane Cartmill, a spokesman for the State Fire Marshal's Office.