A South Pembrokeshire village was rocked this week by the tragic death of a 'valued and vibrant' member of its community in a house fire. Mother of four, named locally as Maria Sutton, died when fire broke out at her home in Dewing Avenue, Manorbier, during the early hours of Tuesday morning. Police and three fire crews, two from Tenby and one from Pembroke Dock, rushed to the scene when the alarm was raised at 12.46 am. "On arrival, the house was found to be ablaze," said a police spokeswoman. Two young children - Mrs. Sutton's sons Daniel 13, and Dillon, 10 - had been led to safety by a neighbour prior to the arrival of firefighters, but sadly, the rescuers were unable to reach Mrs. Sutton. A spokesman for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "Our hearts go out to the family affected by this serious incident. Whilst this is a terrible tragedy, the consequences could have been far worse had it not been for the smoke detectors. This incident could have resulted in the death of three people. "Firefighters from Pembrokeshire had visited this property last September and had fitted smoke detectors as part of the free home fire safety checks now offered by the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service." Fire crews managed to stop the fire from spreading to an adjoining property. Mrs. Sutton, 37, also leaves two daughters, Jacqueline, aged 18, and Jodie, 19, and a grandson. The tragedy has shocked and stunned the local community. Tributes have been paid to Mrs. Sutton and flowers have been laid outside her house. On behalf of Skrinkle Tenants And Residents Association, secretary Chas Cochrane said: "Maria was a wonderful mum who was devoted and doted on her family, always warm and friendly and there to help others when needed.  "Maria, along with her sons Daniel and Dillon would often be seen organising games for younger children of the estate on the green opposite her house, supplying drinks and biscuits, and on hand to deal with any falls and bumps by younger children." Mr. Cochrane continued: "Maria, with her strong personality, was a valued and vibrant member of our association and The Skrinkle Community, working hard to gain improvements on the estate for the benefit of everyone and particularly where children were concerned. "She would often be seen sitting in her front garden keeping an eye on the children playing, always wearing a friendly welcoming smile, chatting to everyone who passed, sharing a joke and passing the time of day. "Maria's death has shocked not only our, but the wider community of Manorbier, and our thoughts are now with Maria's immediate and extended family, many who live on our estate." He added: "Our association would also like to take this opportunity to pay gratitude and tribute on behalf of our community to the bravery of neighbours Kevin and Maggie Roberts and Chris Elliot, whose spontaneous and courageous actions undoubtedly saved the lives of Maria's two sons. However, we know they are devastated and heartbroken that they were beaten back by the intensity and ferocity of the fire and were unable, when going back into the house, to rescue Maria; we all share their grief. "Our community would also thank the fire, police and ambulance services for the professional and sensitive manner in which they dealt with this incident; it is a comfort to know they are there when needed. "Maria's passing in this untimely and tragic incident will leave a huge gap on Skrinkle and Maria will be greatly and sadly missed, but will never be forgotten, by our community." A joint investigation into the cause of the blaze is now underway. For fire safety advice, please contact the all Wales freephone number 0800 169 1234. At the time of going to press, Mrs. Sutton's funeral had not been finalised, but all inquiries should be directed to Messrs. W. and M. J. Rossiter and Sons Ltd., The Old Rectory, The Norton, Tenby (tel. 843160), who have charge of the arrangements. FOOTNOTE: A planning application for residential development on land off Hounsell Avenue, Manorbier, which was scheduled to go before Pembrokeshire Coast National Park's development management committee on Wednesday was deferred as a mark of respect because of the tragedy. Manorbier Community Council applied to have the application deferred as representatives of the community were due to speak on the matter. At the meeting, committee chairman, Mr. Tony Brinsden, expressed his condolences to the family and friends involved.