AKRON, Ohio -- Fire investigators fear that a house fire that broke out Monday morning could be the deadliest blaze in the city's history.

Akron Fire Lt. Seirjie Lash said firefighters have yet to get inside the home on Fultz Avenue near East Avenue of the extensive damage the fire caused. Lash said several people died in the fire, including children.

Firefighters have not been able to get into the home and Lash said they are unsure of exactly how many people died in the fire.

Family members have told investigators that several people lived inside the home, and they believe all of them were inside when the fire broke out. The family members range in age from less than a year old to 38 years old, Lash said.

A woman who identified herself as a relative of the family said seven people lived inside the home, including five kids and two adults. The youngest is believed to be about eight months old. The woman spoke to reporters at the scene but did not want her name published.

Firefighters arrived about 3 a.m. to find the two-story home fully engulfed in flames. The extensive water and fire damage has made it unsafe for investigators. A special response team arrived at the scene about 9:30 a.m. to help make it safe to enter the home.

The Ohio Fire Marshal is helping Akron investigators determine the cause of the fire.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan issued a statement calling the fire "tragic."

"My family, the Akron Fire Department, and the entire Akron community, are profoundly saddened by this devastating incident and this tragic loss of life," Horrigan's statement says. "My deepest sympathies and prayers are with the family and loved ones of those who perished, and we pray for strength and healing in the difficult days to come. We will see to it that the victims' families are supported in this time of great sorrow and need."

The outside of the home's front half is charred, along with the inside of the home.

The fire is about two blocks away from a deadly house fire that killed two in April 2016. That fire was ruled an arson.

The deadliest fire in Akron's history killed seven people.

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