Two people were rescued from a burning home early Tuesday morning and taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation after a structure fire escalated to a third-alarm response, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Firefighters were called just before 1:20 a.m. to the 2500 block of E. Buckingham Way, where crews were told two people were trapped inside the residence. Firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home, with the occupants trapped behind a security door and barred windows. The fire had already begun spreading to a neighboring house.

Crews quickly upgraded the response to a second alarm and shifted into rescue operations, which later escalated to a third alarm, bringing about 60 firefighters to the scene. Both individuals were successfully rescued and transported to a local hospital for smoke inhalation.

The home where the fire started was declared a total loss, and a neighboring residence sustained extensive damage. Firefighters were able to save a third home that was threatened by the flames. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Fire officials noted that security bars and doors can slow or prevent escape during emergencies and urged homeowners with such features to ensure they have quick-release mechanisms that can be opened from the inside.

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