The woman and the boy ran screaming from the apartment on Farm Pond Lane about 3:35 p.m. Monday. Neighbors put out flames clinging to the victims' hair and clothing before firefighters arrived, officials said.
No one else was inside the apartment during the blaze.
Fire officials identified the woman as 29-year-old Kim Vesey. Her son is Anthony Vesey, a third-grader at Albemarle Elementary.
Relatives -- most of whom are in the Midwest -- are praying for the victims. Vesey's husband, mother and sister are with them at the burn center. Betty Vesey, the woman's aunt, is in Milwaukee, Wis., getting updates from relatives and the media.
"It's horrible to think about the suffering that she and her son are going through," she said. "But she comes from a family who believes in God and the power of prayer."
While the mother and son fight for their lives, the fire has already claimed one victim. Kim Vesey was seven months pregnant. The unborn child didn't survive.
A counselor at Albemarle Elementary explained the fire to Anthony's classmates Tuesday. School officials contacted someone at the family's church who will collect gifts and cards made by the children. The items should be delivered to the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill within a few days.
Fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blaze. It began in or near the living room and quickly spread through the two-story home at the Forest Hills Apartments.
Residents of the complex speculated Monday that the fire may have been a result of faulty electrical outlets. That wasn't the case, investigators say. They're also looking at a vacuum cleaner that the boy may have used just before the fire erupted.
Investigators have ruled out foul play.
"We may not be able to clearly determine what happened until the victims are stabilized and we're able to talk to them," said Chief Fire Investigator David Lowery.
The fire caused about $100,000 in damage. Two adjacent units sustained minor damage. It's not clear whether the smoke detector in Vesey's apartment was working at the time of the fire, fire officials said.
Kim Vesey moved to Charlotte in the mid-1990s, was recently married and at some point worked at an area Burger King, relatives said. They describe Anthony as bright and playful.
Betty Vesey wants to see him smile again. "This is devastating," she said. "We're upset, but we're praying."
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