NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fire ripped through a home in Newark, New Jersey, on Sunday killing six people, officials said.

The blaze broke out around 4am ET, gutting the home and spreading to a house next door, which was also damaged, according to the Newark Fire Department.

Once the blaze was extinguished, crews found six people dead inside the home, said Anthony Ambrose, chief of detectives at the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

The identities of the victims have not been confirmed, Mr Ambrose said. It was unclear what sparked the fire and the arson unit was investigating, he added.