AURORA, Colo. — Fire swept through a three-story apartment building in suburban Denver before dawn Monday and a child died after firefighters rescued people unable to escape on their own, officials said.

Fire officials said that people couldn’t get down the stairs of the building during the fire in the city of Aurora and photos showed the outdoor staircases burned in the blaze.

The child died in a hospital and three other people were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Aurora Fire Rescue said in a series of tweets.

Authorities said 31 people were displaced by the fire. The cause is under investigation.

Denver apartment fire after which a child died

A fire swept through a three-story apartment building in Aurora, Colo., Monday, Jan. 24, 2022. (Aurora Fire Rescue via AP)