Two children died and a third was injured during a Sunday afternoon fire at the Lynnwood Town Home apartments in the 6700 block 196th Street Southwest.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the two-alarm blaze, which was reported at 2:37 p.m. Sunday, and generated columns of smoke visible from miles away. The age and sex of the victims were not immediately available, but they were described as juveniles.

A boy estimated to be about 11 years old escaped the fire and was taken to Swedish Edmonds Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. It wasn’t immediately known whether the boy was related to the two victims, said Interim South County Fire Chief Doug Dahl.

At least two units adjacent to where the fire broke out were damaged, and Support 7 and Red Cross officials were at the scene to help displaced residents, Dahl said.

When fire crews arrived, the two-story structure was “fully involved,” but firefighters were able to knock down the fire quickly, after which they discovered the two victims, Dahl said. The victims’ parents have been notified, he added.

South County Fire spokesperson Leslie Hynes said that the fire drew a total of 45 firefighters to the scene, from South County Fire, Snohomish County Fire District 7 and the Mukilteo Fire Department.

Fire investigators along with representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will be investigating the cause of the blaze. “They will methodically work their way through it and (we will) take our time to make sure we get all the right answers,” Dahl said.

Lynnwood police said that 196th Street Southwest will be closed both directions between 68th and 64th Streets Southwest while the investigation is underway.

Dahl said that situations involving children are “always tough. It’s going to be a long night.”

— By Teresa Wippel with reporting from Larry Vogel