A north Edmonton house fire that left two young people in critical condition Sunday night was caused by cooking oil left unattended on the stove, say fire investigators.

Firefighters were called to the home at 17808 93rd St. just before 9:30 p.m. and had the fire under control 20 minutes later.

Fire crews pulled two young people from their upstairs bedrooms through their bedroom windows. Both were suffering from smoke inhalation and required CPR.

It was originally reported the young people were both teenagers, but updated information Monday morning described the victims as an eight-year-old girl and a young man between 17 and 20.

The rear of the home Monday morning after a fire sent three people to hospital with smoke inhalation. (Travis McEwan/CBC)

"It's not looking good," deputy fire chief of operations Scott Macdonald said Sunday night. "They were both getting CPR at the time."

According to Alberta Health Services Monday morning the two are in critical condition.

Two other people, the mother and a 75-year-old man, incorrectly identified by emergency officials on scene as the father, were also in the home at the time.

The man was sent to hospital with injuries to his airway and high levels of carbon monoxide, an Edmonton Fire Rescue Services news release said Monday.

Kitchen window had blown out

Neighbour Joan Kucher said five people lived in the home, two seniors, their daughter and her two children.

The family has lived there for about 28 years, she said.

Neighbour Joan Kucher heard the fire shortly after it started. (Travis McEwan/CBC) "My son went on to the deck and saw all this smoke and we saw the kitchen window had blown out with the flames coming through."

The adults from the burning home were on the driveway as other neighbours tried to comfort them, Kucher said.

"At that point many firefighters arrived and went into the home and at one point I was on the grass as they brought John's granddaughter out and we were all asked to leave."

Fire investigators said the fire was caused by over-heated cooking oil which was left unattended for a few minutes.

The kitchen and main floor of the four-level split sustained heavy fire damage. Investigators estimate damage to the structure at $400,000 and the value of the contents lost at $100,000.

Edmonton's fire chief said overheated cooking-oil is the leading causes of home fires.

"Cooking oil burns very hot once it flashes," he said.

In 2016, there were 69 cooking-oil fires in Edmonton alone, resulting in injuries to eight people.