NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Three people have died following an early morning fire in Newport News.

Family members on social media along with neighbors confirmed Alexis Newby and her two sons, 6-year-old Legend and 3-year-old Aymel, died Thursday.

The fire department still has not officially released the identities of those who died in the fire.

Newport News Fire Chief Jeff Johnson tells 10 On Your Side that the fire started around 5:00 a.m. in the 600 block of Collinwood Place, near Warwick Boulevard.

Three people were rescued from a second-floor apartment but later died from their injuries, Johnson confirmed.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Newport News Fire Marshal’s Office.

The Newport News Fire Department is planning a fire safety walk in the impacted neighborhood early next week.

Fire officials encourage everyone to have a working smoke detector in their homes — placed inside bedrooms, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. Free smoke alarms are available to Newport News residents.

To request a free smoke alarm, residents can call the Fire Marshal’s Smoke Alarm Hotline at 757-975-5454. 

10 On Your Side is working to learn more.