JACKSON PARISH - Fire officials say two children are dead following a weekend fire in Jackson Parish.

Just after 10 p.m. Saturday, firefighters with the Hodge Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 1000 block of S. Elm Street. At the scene, firefighters learned five children and one adult were inside the home when the fire started.

Officials say the bodies of two children were located by firefighters in the master bedroom. The victims are believed an almost 2-month-old girl and a 3-year-old boy. Their names haven't been released at this time.

Authorities say an 8-year-old boy, a 7-year-old girl, and a 4-year-old boy were examined at a local hospital and then released.

“This is the second fire in as many weeks involving children having access to fire-producing objects and that access resulting in devastating consequences,” said State Fire Marshal Butch Browning. “I cannot emphasize enough the importance of, first and foremost, keeping lighters and matches away from the reach of children, but secondly, teaching children about the dangers of playing with fire."

Investigators learned that one of the children had accidentally caught a couch on fire while playing with a lighter. After discovering the fire, the adult male evacuated the older children and attempted to extinguish the blaze.

After failing to extinguish the fire, witness statements indicated the male attempted to reach the two remaining children but was unsuccessful.