Family members jumped from a second-floor window early Friday morning to escape a house fire in Colton that left eight people hospitalized.
Six children and their parents were in the home, near the Colton Civic Center, when the fire started around 5:30 a.m., a family member said. They were hospitalized with three in critical condition, according to firefighters.
"There was quite a bit of fire coming through the roof," said Colton Battalion Chief Tom Debellis. "It was a very intense fire."
A brother of the homeowner said the family made a desperate escape out a second-floor window.
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"The only way he could get them out was through the top window," said Emmanuel Flores. "I guess they had to jump out the window because the whole house… was engulfed in flames. Luckily, he got them all out, but with a price. He's not doing so well."
A witness said she brought blankets to distraught children gathered outside the burning home. She estimated the fire consumed the house in about 10 minutes.
"The house, in no time, just went up in flames very quick," said witness Yolanda Marin. "It was heartbreaking."
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Firefighters treated some victims at the scene as they tried to prevent flames from spreading to nearby homes.
Details about a cause were not immediately available.
