Eleven people escaped an apartment fire in Cedar Rapids late last night. The fire was reported shortly before midnight at a two-story home, turned into apartments, on Cedar Rapids’ southeast side.

When firefighters arrived, they were told there may be children trapped inside. No one was found in the home and after an hour, the intense flames and sagging of the structure forced firefighters to evacuate. It was later determined all six children and five adults in the building made it out safely.

Investigators said it’s not clear if the second floor smoke alarms were operating, but the children — between the ages of 3 and 13 — evacuated when they smelled smoke and heard yelling.

The fire is blamed on a woman in one of the first floor apartments who fell asleep while cooking with grease.