Two people were killed in a five-alarm fire in North Baltimore early Tuesday that affected at least eight rowhomes and drew a large response from the Baltimore City Fire Department.

Fire Department spokesman John Marsh said the two people were found after a “methodical search” of the scene in the 3400 block of Keswick Road.

The identities of the two people were not immediately released Tuesday afternoon. The fire broke out around 5:30 a.m. and engulfed multiple residential buildings. No firefighters were injured, Marsh said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. It appears to have originated in the center of the block before spreading quickly to other homes, causing at least one to collapse, Marsh said.

Residents displaced by the fire huddled under blankets behind yellow police tape and watched fire crews work on the smoldering buildings. Neighbors opened their homes to some of them and offered couches to sleep on.

“Already so many neighbors are helpful,” Baltimore City Councilwoman Odette Ramos said. “This is a tight-knit community.”

Ramos described the fire as “massive,” saying people could smell the smoke in Charles Village and Waverly.

Around 7:45 a.m., Baltimore Fire said in a social media post that the fire had been extinguished.

The blaze comes more than a year after another large fire damaged 10 two-story rowhouses in Hampden and displaced 22 people from the 800 block of Union Avenue.

The Hampden Community Council is organizing some relief efforts for those affected by this week’s fire, Ramos said. The Red Cross was also on scene Tuesday morning.

In an evening post on X, Mayor Brandon Scott said the deadly blaze is a reminder that homes should have working smoke detectors installed. He also expressed condolences to the family of those killed.

“Our hearts are heavy today with the loss of two of our residents in this morning’s fire, and we grieve with their family, loved ones and neighbors,” Scott wrote.

This is a developing story.