ACUSHNET - A fire in Acushnet, Massachusetts early on Christmas morning killed a man and woman in their 80s and injured a firefighter, authorities said.

Pictures taken by a neighbor showed the two-and-a-half-story home on Garfield Street engulfed in flames. The fire department and police responded to the scene after multiple 911 calls were made just before 2 a.m. Wednesday.

The names of the two people who died have not been released, but a neighbor told WBZ-TV they were husband and wife. The firefighter who was taken to a hospital is expected to recover, officials said.

"On behalf of the Acushnet Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the victims' family and loved ones," Acushnet Fire Chief Thomas Farland said in a statement. "This is a heartbreaking day for them and our community."

A neighbor who saw the fire pounded on the door of the burning home, helping one resident to escape safely.

Responding firefighters were initially told that three people were unaccounted for, but another resident of the multi-family home was determined to be out of the country at the time.

It took firefighters an hour to bring the fire under control after it did major damage to the home. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

According to State Fire Marshal Jon Davine, witnesses and first responders did not hear any smoke alarms sounding during the fire.

"Please, if you do one thing today, talk to the people you care about and be sure they have working smoke alarms on every level of their homes," Davine said in a statement.