Officials have said that a fire in a Lawrence County, Pa., Amish farmhouse Saturday killed a young mother and her two small children, including a toddler.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reported that Pennsylvania state police say they believe Katie M. Kurtz, 31, and daughters, Sally L. Kurtz, 8, and Anna L. Kurtz, 3, died in the kitchen of their white frame farmhouse about 12:15 p. m. EDT Saturday when Kurtz attempted to ignite their wood-burning stove with kerosene.

It was also reported that the Kurtzes lived in a traditional Amish community where there was no electrical service and it fell to a relative, Daniel L. Byler, to walk house to house to relate the news.

He said, "Everyone else (in the family) is still down at the house. So I volunteered to do this."

The newspaper also said that the victims were among six people who lived at the farmhouse. Husband Levi Kurtz and two teenage nephews also residents, were not at home when the fire broke out.

Pennsylvania State Trooper Troy Steinheiser said that a passing motorist who saw flames called 911, but he and another person were unable to get into the farmhouse due to heavy smoke.

He further said, "We believe it was pretty close to the time the fire started. We believe this was accidental pending a final finding of the fire marshal's office." (With Inputs from Agencies)