On Sunday morning, April 19, 2026, a house explosion and fire in Lamar Township, Clinton County, killed a mother and her six children, Pennsylvania state police said. The blast occurred about 8:30 a.m. at a residence on Long Run Road, roughly 35 miles from State College. Responding crews found the home fully engulfed and said the family members were trapped inside.
State police identified the 34-year-old mother as Sarah B. Stolzfus. Her children who died were an 11-year-old son, a 10-year-old son, an 8-year-old daughter, a 6-year-old daughter, a 5-year-old son and a 3-year-old son, authorities said.
Investigators believe a propane leak inside the house may have caused the explosion and subsequent fire. Propane tanks located outside the home did not explode and are not believed to have contributed to the blaze, state police said.
The explosion and fire remain under investigation by Pennsylvania state police.