UPDATED: 10 a.m.
Officials say the fire started just before midnight. And neighbors say they'll never forget waking up and hearing the desparate pleas of the people who lived there.
"Loud screaming. Up the street here. Looked out the window, and it was louder and louder," said neighbor Rich Polidoro.
As flames tore through the rowhome on Modena Place, in a neighborhood close to Northeast Philadelphia Airport, neighbor Alex said he heard screaming. He looked out his window across the street and saw two people outside of the burning house, yelling for help to get to the two people who were trapped inside.
"I just heard screams for help," said neighbor Deneen Senske. "That's when my husband and my son went over, and we were trying to break the windows, throwing things through the window. Just was very upsetting."
Despite their best efforts, the situation was just too dangerous.
Neighbors say they were good people.
"I just can't even believe it," said neighbor Deneen. "It's very upsetting we lost our neighbors today."
Residents say it was the couple's daughter and son-in-law who survived the fire and were screaming for help. They were taken to the hospital for treatment.
They have a dog, too. One of the neighbors took him to the vet emergency room, where he was treated for burns and given oxygen therapy for smoke inhalation. he is expected to recover.
Investigators are trying to figure out how the fire started.