Four young children were killed on Saturday morning in a large fire that swept through eight Philadelphia row homes in the southwestern section of the city.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the victims have been identified as 4-year-old twin sisters Maria and Marialla Bowah, Patrick Sanyeah, 4, and Taj Jacque, a baby boy who had been born on May 18.

An additional three children were in the house along with the mother of the twins, 41-year-old Dewen Bowah. Officials believe that the fire started close to 2:40 a.m., and that it started on a couch on one of the rowhouse porches.

Police say Bowah was able to rescue Bowah's other daughters from the house but was unable to reach the other four victims, and had to jump from a second-floor window.

The victims were discovered in a front bedroom on the second floor. Police say Bowah told her neighbor that there were more children in the home but the neighbor was unable to enter the house to rescue them.

Officials say the flames spread quickly and was rated a three-alarm fire. It took crews an hour to get the blaze under control.

A total of eight homes were destroyed or damaged by the fire. According to the Red Cross, around 40 residents of the neighborhood have been displaced.

Fire officials say close to 100 firefighters and 28 fire trucks responded to the emergency call.

Officials are continuing to investigate the fire.

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