The children "were conscious and alert but obviously very scared," he said. Firefighters were called to the fire in Apartment 301 at 7:28 a.m. and arrived two minutes later. While searching the building's three other apartments, firefighters found a 4-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl in Apartment 302, above and to the left of the residence on fire, Curia said. The upstairs apartment suffered moderate smoke damage, he said.

The two children were asleep when the father left to pick up his wife from work, Durham Police Lt. N.A. Miller said. The first-floor apartment was on fire when they came back. The matter has been referred to Durham County Social Services.

When reached at the apartment complex, the father, who wouldn't give his name, declined an interview request.

The blaze displaced eight adults and three children from their homes. The cause is under investigation.

One of those displaced was Jacqueline Montague, who helps others for a living but became the one in need after thick black smoke filled her apartment.

Montague, 41, was preparing for work as a patient service associate for Duke Urgent Care when someone knocked on her door and said there was a fire.

"When I opened the door there was a big cloud of black smoke," said Montague, who lived across from the burning dwelling. "So I immediately started coughing and ducked down and got out as fast as I could." Kimley Bell was asleep when she first smelled smoke, then heard someone banging on her door. Bell, who lived in the building next to the burning apartment, also saw heavy smoke in her home. "I didn't know what was going on at first," said Bell, 45. "I couldn't see nothing in the house."

Residents of Building 300 spent most of the morning moving their belongings to other apartments in the complex. They entered and exited the main door, which was mostly covered with soot, carrying clothes, electronics and other items. Glass from the two ground-floor apartments was scattered across the ground. Yellow fire tape surrounded the building hours later.

Montague, who lived in her apartment for about 11 months, took a moment to survey the damage while transporting personal belongings to her vehicle. "It's horrific," she said. "Just amazing how one day everything can be perfectly normal and then the next day everything is completely destroyed. I planned on being at work today, not salvaging through what's left of my belongings."