MILL HALL – An explosive fire Sunday morning near Salona killed a 34-year-old mother and her six children, who ranged in ages 3 to 11, state police said in a news release that was issued hours after the blaze was extinguished.

The mother was identified as Sarah Stolzfus, according to Trooper Stephen Schramm, a state police fire marshal assigned to the Montoursville barracks.

The minors were only identified by their ages and genders. Their father was not identified in the release.

Besides Stolzfus, her four sons: ages 3, 5, 10 and 11, along with her two daughters, ages 6 and 8, all perished in the blaze.

Firefighters rushed to the home at 797 Long Run Road in Lamar Township about 830 a.m. to investigate a report of explosion-structure fire with occupants trapped.

When they arrived, firefighters confirmed all seven occupants were trapped inside, Schramm said.

However, the home was engulfed in flames which prevented firefighters from making any attempt to rescue the family, Schramm said.

“A propane leak inside the home is a possible cause for the explosion and fire,” Schramm said in the release.

“It should be noted that the exterior propane tanks did not explode nor were they contributing factors” to the explosion and fire, he added.

Schramm, who is a member of the state police Fire-Explosion Investigation Unit, is leading the effort in determining the origin and cause of the fire; one of the deadliest in Clinton County history.