PUBNICO, N.S. -- Nova Scotia RCMP say people are dead after an early morning house fire in the Yarmouth area.

Officers remained at the scene in Pubnico Head on Sunday morning after receiving a call about a house fire shortly after midnight, according to police.

Kathy Bourque, a municipal councillor in Pubnico Head tells CTV Atlantic that four children were killed in the fire, and that everyone in the community is devastated by the news.

Dozens of firefighters from several departments in the area were sent to the scene, and arrived to find the home fully engulfed in flames, said Troy Amirault, deputy chief of the West Pubnico Fire Department.

Crews battled the blaze for a couple of hours, he said, but the house was destroyed, with only one wall left standing.

Police have confirmed there were fatalities, but have not said how many.

RCMP said they are in the early stages of their investigation, and they have requested help from the Nova Scotia Office of the Fire Marshal.

Police will release further details on Sunday afternoon.