2-year-old boy, mom killed in Jasper fire, family confirms

JASPER, Ga. - Family members have identified the two victims of a house fire in Jasper as a mother and her two-year-old son.

Firefighters found the bodies of Zayne and Kathleen "Nina" Pierce, 35, inside the burning home on Oakmont Drive, according to the boy's uncle.

"It’s been shock, disbelief," said Gary Ferguson. "I wanted to wake up this morning and for it to be a bad dream."

Ferguson described his sister-in-law as a fun-loving goofball with a great sense of humor.

He said their sons were supposed to be lifelong friends.

"Heaven's bright with that smile, I can tell you," he said. "A beautiful little boy. Sweet, so sweet."

Jasper firefighters say they got the call just before 7:48 a.m.

They say they were on the scene within two minutes, but still nothing could be done. Neighbors heard some sort of explosion before smoke billowed out of the house.

"Within seconds, they were there. They tried," Ferguson said. "Unfortunately, the smoke and the blast, that’s a 300 db blast at least. They were gone."

Zayne Pierce

Zayne would have been three in July.

The house is a total loss.

Friends and family piled up roses near the bedroom where firefighters found their bodies.

Ferguson has put some of the surviving family members up at a motel as the family plans Nina and Zayne’s funeral.

He has set up an online fundraiser to help in those efforts. Another fundraiser has also been set up by a loved one named Janine Watkins.

The Georgia State Fire Marshal's Office is handling the investigation into the cause of the fire.