Seven local firefighters received the Spirit of Courage award for their efforts to save and resuscitate the five victims in the fatal fire on Willow Street in Franklin Township last year.

The firefighters, four from Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company, and three from Lehighton Fire Department, were honored at the annual Valley Preferred Spirit of Courage Award Celebration held recently at the Wind Creek Event Center at Wind Creek Bethlehem.

They were Lt. Austin Lilly, Lt. Justin Smith, Lt. Chris Hardy and firefighter Chauncey Hearn from the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company; and Capt. Tucker Haberman, Lt. Zachery Haberman and Lt. Jimmy Young from the Lehighton Fire Department.

Fatal fire

The group was nominated by Franklin Township Fire Chief Lynn Diehl for their help with the fatal Willow Street fire on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2025.

Just before midnight on Sept. 30, firefighters were dispatched to a house fire at a twin home on Willow Street, with possible entrapment.

They arrived to find the first floor and rear of the second floor of the home fully engulfed in flames. While crews attacked the fire, a ladder was thrown to the front porch roof.

Lt. Austin Lilly and Capt. Tucker Haberman entered the second-floor bedroom, where they discovered a young child on the floor under a pillow. They removed the child to the roof and began compressions before passing the child to Lt. Justin Smith, who took the child down the ladder.

Lilly and Haberman located a second victim in the hallway outside the bedroom door. They moved her to the top of the stairs, and Lt. Jimmy Young and firefighter Chauncey Hearn took her down the stairs and outside.

Lilly and Haberman found the third victim, another young child, in the front bedroom on the floor next to the deceased dog. Haberman handed the child to Lilly, who began compressions on the porch roof with Lt. Zachery Haberman.

Tucker and Zachery Haberman located the fourth victim in the rear bedroom above the fire.

Smith found another young child partially under the bed in the front bedroom and passed the child through the window to Lt. Chris Hardy.

By that time the fire had traveled into both attics and through the roof and dividing wall. All firefighters were evacuated.

Despite every effort by these brave firefighters and emergency services personnel, five people — a mother and her four children — died in the fire.

Community bands together

In the wake of the dwelling fire that resulted in the death of five people, including four children, community members banded together to host multiple fundraisers.

The fundraisers were held for Matthew Wheelock, who lost his four children and their mother in the fire at 56 Willow St.

The Carbon County Coroner’s office identified the victims as Aida Marrero, 37; Kaylee Quevedo, 14; Nathaniel Wheelock, 1; Aiden Wheelock, 5; and Matthias Wheelock, 6.

Their deaths were ruled accidental.

In response to the tragedy, fundraisers included two GoFundMe accounts, a fundraiser by the Boatyard Bar and Grill in Weissport; St. Peter’s Community Resource Center as a drop-off site for donations; and a community night by P.J. Whelihan’s Pub and Restaurant in Lehighton.

The residents on the other side of the duplex at 56 and 60 Willow St. escaped injury.

State police said that the Troop N Fire Marshal Unit determined there were no suspicious circumstances regarding the fire. The house was a total loss and will be demolished.

When troopers and firefighters arrived just before midnight, the home was fully engulfed on the first floor and rear of the second floor.

Diehl said a critical incident stress management group that provides support to people affected by traumatic events held a session at the Franklin Township fire station. Firefighters remained on-scene until just before 7 a.m.

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.