A mother and her six young children were killed after an explosion ignited a fast-moving fire at a home in central Pennsylvania on April 29, leaving no opportunity for rescue as flames rapidly consumed the structure.
Multiple fire departments responded to the scene and found the structure fully engulfed upon arrival. Officials said all seven occupants were trapped inside, and the intensity of the fire prevented crews from conducting a search. All victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
Trooper Stephen Schramm, assigned to the state police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit, is leading the ongoing investigation into the origin and cause of the incident.
A neighbor, identified as Christina Duck, told WNEP-TV that she was eating breakfast when she heard a loud blast that shook her home.
“I heard a boom and I could feel it,” Duck said. “I got up and looked out the window, and I could see the flames through the windows and I come running outside, and within a minute the whole house was completely engulfed.”
Duck added that emergency personnel began arriving shortly after, but said the speed of the fire left little chance for intervention.
“By the time they got there, there was no saving that house; it went up so fast," she said.
Investigators believe a propane leak inside the home may have triggered the explosion and subsequent fire. Police noted that exterior propane tanks at the property did not explode and were not considered contributing factors.
The obituary described Stoltzfus as a member of the Old Order Amish Church, a community known for its emphasis on faith, family life, and traditional practices. She is survived by her husband, David F. Stoltzfus, as well as her parents, Levi K. and Lizzie Esh, and extended family members.