Young girl dies in Pender County fire

A fire claimed the life of small girl this morning in Penderlea, in Pender County, and her mother was taken to Pender Memorial Hospital and released.

Another child was airlifted to the Burn Unit at UNC-Chapel Hill.

A 911 call came in from a cell phone at 7:33 this morning, and emergency crews were dispatched to the one-story brick house on Raccoon Road, which is right behind Penderlea School. Seven people live in the house, though some of the children had reportedly already left for school.

The State Bureau of Investigation was on hand after the blaze was extinguished, and with local help have determined that it was likely an electrical fire that began in the wall behind the refrigerator and stove.

The house was completely destroyed, and the Red Cross is in the process of organizing aid for the family. Penderlea School has called in additional counselors for students, as at least one of the children who lived in the house attends the school.