MURFREESBORO – A mother and her two young children perished in a residential fire near here early Thursday morning, the cause of which remains under investigation.

According to Captain Patrick Jacobs of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office, the mother is identified as 31-year-old Sarah Vann. Her two children, whose names were not made public, were ages 11 and 2.

The family resided in a singlewide mobile home located in the 9400 block of US 258 south of Murfreesboro in Northampton County, near the intersection of Pinetops Road.

Conway Volunteer Fire Department Chief Albert Vann said the cause of the fire is under investigation by the North Carolina SBI.

“They (SBI) were on the scene early Thursday morning,” Vann said.

On Friday, Vann said he had yet to be contacted by the SBI in regards to the cause of the fire.

Vann said his department received the call around midnight.

“We arrived to find a singlewide mobile home fully engulfed,” Vann stated.

He said it took a little more than one-half hour to bring the blaze under control. At that time firefighters were able to locate the bodies.

Members of the Woodland Fire Department also responded to the scene, as did the Murfreesboro Volunteer Fire Department. Combined, the three departments battled the blaze with eight units and 34 firefighters.

Vann said the last fire unit cleared the scene at 7:30 a.m.

Northampton EMS units from Woodland and Jackson were also dispatched to the scene, as were deputies with the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol also responded to the scene.

Northampton County Sheriff Jack Smith thanked all the agencies for their quick response.

“My heart goes out to the Vann family and the entire Northampton County Sheriff’s Office wants to give their condolences to the family,” stated Sheriff Smith.