An explosion at a home in central Pennsylvania sparked a fast-moving fire that killed a mother and her six children on Sunday morning, according to state authorities.
Firefighters in Clinton County responded around 8:30 a.m. to a residence in Lamar Township, a rural community about 100 miles northwest of Harrisburg, after reports of a blast. By the time they arrived, the home was engulfed in flames, trapping the seven people inside, according to a State Police report.
There was “no ability to search for victims,” the report said. Videos circulating online show a two-story home consumed by a raging fire. Firefighters can be seen hosing down the structure as flames rip through walls and windows.
The victims were Sarah B. Stolzfus, 34, and her six children: four boys and two girls ranging from 3 to 11 years old.
“We are a small, tight-knit community, and we are letting the family grieve,” David Chappell, a Lamar Township supervisor, said.
A propane tank leak inside the residence may have caused the fire, according to the authorities, who are investigating.
They noted that gas tanks outside the home did not explode or combust.
An obituary posted by the Geodon Funeral Home in nearby Lock Haven, Pa., said that Ms. Stolzfus was a member of the Old Order Amish Church. Clinton County is home to a large Amish community that generally eschews modern technology, though non-Amish people also live there.
The obituary said that the seven victims were survived by the husband and father, David F. Stoltzfus, using a different spelling of the surname for both him and his wife. It was unclear whether he was in the vicinity of the home when the explosion occurred. He could not be reached for comment.
Christina Duck, a neighbor who lives a few doors down, said she sprinted outside after hearing a loud boom while eating breakfast with her daughter.
“Within a matter of minutes, the house was completely engulfed,” she said in an email. “There was no saving that house.”
Ms. Duck, 40, said the family moved in around a month ago. The children often played outside, she added . They would wave when people drove by.
“They seemed very nice,” she said.
Bernard Mokam covers breaking news.
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