Officials report that a girl and her younger brother remain hospitalized with injuries suffered when their father allegedly set their home on fire with all of them inside. Authorities in Northglenn say the father, who is also hospitalized with injuries suffered in the fire, is being investigated for assault, domestic violence and attempted murder.

According to reports about the case, the man and his wife are estranged and approaching a final divorce declaration sometime in April. Based on various media reports, this is what seems to have prompted the probe of alleged domestic violence and violent crime.

Northglenn police say they were called to the home where the fire erupted by the children's mother at around 4:20 last Thursday morning. When they arrived they found the woman outside. She appeared to have been beaten up. Noting evidence of a blaze, officers attempted to get into the home but were pushed back by flames and smoke.

Firefighters then breached the place and reported that they had to struggle to get through barricades of furniture to get to rooms where they found the father, the 5-year-old girl and the 18-month-old boy. All three were unconscious. The girl is said to have burns over half of her body. The boy is being treated for smoke inhalation. At last word, all remained in critical condition.

The issues in Northglenn appear to have escalated from a situation hours earlier in Aurora. Police there say the mother called officers at around 2 a.m. with a report that her estranged husband had been driving across her lawn. She apparently followed him back to Northglenn after that incident out of concern for the children.

Relatives of the woman tell reporters that when she got to the Northglenn home, the husband came out and attacked her. They say he then returned to the house and barricaded himself in with the children. That's when she called Northglenn police.

Source: CBSLocal.com, "Father Facing Attempted Murder Charges In Burning Children Case," Feb. 24. 2012