At least two others are injured.
There was no immediate word as to the ages of those who died. Neighbors say there were a number of children who lived inside the home.Neighbor Bill Richards who lived on the block for 24 years says he heard a woman yell, "Oh my God! Oh my God!"
He then heard fire trucks and came outside.
"It's very upsetting," Richards said. "I just can't wrap myself around it."
Richards spoke about a young man he has watched grow up who lives in the building.
"It's a great neighborhood - a varied neighborhood. There are houses that have single families, multi-families, there are apartments, a lot of renters but there are single families. I've been here for 24 years. I love the neighborhood," Richards said.
VIDEO: Raw video from fatal fire scene
The fire broke out around 6:40 a.m. Wednesday in the 800 block of N. 23rd Street.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames shooting from the second story of the three-story row house.
The fire department said it took about 50 minutes to bring the fire under control. The view from the Action Cam and Chopper 6 showed multiple fire crews on the scene.
Philadelphia police say the house had been converted into two apartments.
The cause of this fire remains under investigation. It's not yet known if there were working smoke detectors in the home.Lindsay Hull told Action News she came upon the scene at 7 a.m. She saw stretchers.
She said her friend lives in the building next to the rowhome.
"That's a house that has a lot of kids," Hull said. "It's sad."
VIDEO: Chopper 6 over scene of fatal fire
Mayor Jim Kenney was on location talking to fire crews. Action News reporter Katherine Scott said the mayor slumped when he heard the news.
People could be seen sobbing uncontrollably outside the burned-out home.
Officials from the Philadelphia Housing Authorities were also on the scene.Neighbors told Action News they woke up to smell the smoke and could hear the sirens. They looked outside to see the street lined with fire trucks.
A 36-year-old man was taken to the hospital with second-degree burns to his legs. He was reported to be in serious but stable condition.
"You come out. You think it's not close. You think it's never as close as it is," neighbor Michelle said.
She told Action News about another fire that happened before Thanksgiving on the same block.
"Twice," Michelle said. "It's horrible."
Stay with Action News and 6abc.com as this story develops.
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