A fire that ripped through a double home and killed four children and their mother late Tuesday night in Franklin Township is being ruled accidental.

The Pennsylvania State Police said that through investigation, the Troop N Fire Marshal Unit determined no suspicious circumstances regarding the house fire at 56 and 60 Willow St.

When troopers and firefighters arrived just before midnight, the home was fully engulfed on the first floor and rear of the second floor. The mother, three boys and one girl were trapped inside.

At 12:21 a.m. Wednesday, the Carbon County Coroner’s Office was called to the scene.

Autopsies were scheduled today to determine the cause and manner of death. The autopsies will be conducted at the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office and Forensics Center in Allentown.

He said the victims were three school-age children, one preschool age child and an adult. Their names are not being released at this time.

Franklin Fire Chief Lynn Diehlsaid the other family who lived on No. 60 side of the double home managed to get out safely.

He said he called for the American Red Cross to assist.

“I know they did assist the father with financial aid to at least get him through a day or two,” Diehl said.

The Red Cross said it is “working closely with emergency responders and community partners to care for all those who have been impacted by this fire.”

The home is uninhabitable and will have to be demolished.

Firefighter counseling

Diehl said a critical incident stress management group that provides support to people affected by traumatic events held a session Wednesday night at the Franklin Township Fire station.

“We had 30 to 40 firefighters and EMS workers there, it was something,” Diehl said. “It’s all meant to help the responders through their mental problems; it affects everybody differently.”

Diehl said firefighters remained on scene until just before 7 a.m.

He said at that time the cause of the fire was unknown, and that a fire marshal was on scene.

Diehl said also assisting at the scene were the Lehighton Fire Department, Parryville Fire Department, Bowmanstown Fire Department, Mahoning Valley Fire Department, Towamensing Township Fire Department, Jim Thorpe Fire Department, Aquashicola Fire Department for its cascade system, and Lehighton Ambulance.

Community support

St. Peter’s Community Resource Center, 177 Main Road, Franklin Township, has offered to be a drop off point for donations for the fire victims.

The group posted on its Facebook page Wednesday night that volunteers from St. Peter’s Community Resource Center will be at the Weissport Crisp Air Festival at 10 a.m. Saturday and will have a donation jar there for monetary donations for the families who suffered the tragedy.

“While all of our thoughts and prayers are with the family who suffered a tragic and devastating loss, the occupants of the other side of the home have also suffered a loss of all of their belongings,” the group posted.

Items that are being accepted include tooth brushes, tooth paste, women’s medium shirts, women’s small pants, women’s shoe size 8, feminine hygiene products, disposable razors, blankets, dog food, cat litter, cat food, men’s XL shirt, men’s XL pants and men’s shoe size 10.5.

The investigation remains active by the Pennsylvania State Police Lehighton Criminal Investigation Unit along with the Troop N Fire Marshal Unit.

Lehighton Area School District issued an announcement early Wednesday morning about the students.

“Late last (Tuesday) night and early this (Wednesday) morning, our community suffered a tragic loss in a house fire,” Lehighton Superintendent Jason Moser said in a statement Wednesday morning that counseling is being offered for students.

“Tragedies such as this are incredibly difficult and felt very deeply throughout the entire community,” Moser said. “It is at times like this that we as a community need to be caring and thoughtful about how each other may suffer from the impact of this loss. These are also the times when strong communities, such as the Lehighton Area School District, closely come together to positively support one another, and I have no doubt that we will do just that in order to help our community through this difficult time.”