BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo firefighters say three people died in a two-alarm house fire on East Utica Street early Friday morning.

The victims have only been identified as a 25-year-old man, a 28-year-old woman, and a 1-year-old child.

The call came in just after 2 a.m. and the flames spread quickly, becoming intense at times and preventing fire crews from attacking the blaze the way they normally would. The intensity of the flames, the damage they caused, and the layout of the home made it difficult for first responders to search for people inside the house.

"It's just heart-breaking right now. It really is. He's way to young. He's only 25. His girlfriend is 28. My granddaughter is one. She was about to be two in two days," said Ruth Gouchie, mother of the victim.

"When we see a car on the outside in the middle of the night, it usually tells us that it's occupied, so again, a lot of fire in there, but we were still doing a heavy push figuring that somebody was inside. We were going a little harder and a little more of a dangerous situation that we would we normally push that hard for believing someone was in there," said Peter Kertzie, division chief for the Buffalo Fire Department.

According to fire officials, the home has three apartments, but only one of those was occupied.

At this time, fire investigators believe a car parked next to the house sparked the fire, which spread to the house.

"There were a number of difficulties. The volume of the fire itself, the configuration of the building, the front and rear duplex. Up and down in the front and the first floor, second floor and a third floor in the rear, the staircase going to the third floor was compromised as well, so a lot of difficulties in fighting that fire," said Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo.

The identities of the victims are being withheld pending notification of family members.