Update: Hellertown Police have confirmed that the two girls injured in Friday’s early morning house fire on Linden Avenue have died as a result of their injuries.
Friends and neighbors are rallying around a Hellertown family who were injured and whose home was destroyed in a fire early Friday morning.
According to published reports, the fire in the Kaufman residence in the 600 block of Linden Avenue was reported shortly before 1 a.m. and escalated to two alarms.
The home is located at Linden Avenue and New York Avenue, across from the entrance to Steel Club.
Channel 69 News reported that two children were trapped on the home’s second floor, one of whom reportedly received CPR after being pulled from the burning home.
The Channel 69 story quoted Cpl. John Donato of the Hellertown Police Department, who told the news station smoke and flames initially prevented rescuers from going inside the house to rescue the children, who were ultimately pulled out by firefighters.
Lehigh Valley Live reported that in addition to the children, their parents and two police officers were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries suffered as a result of the fire.
The news site quoted police chief Robert Shupp, who said the officers were expected to be released shortly and that more information about the fire would be released soon.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Around the time of the fire, heavy thunderstorms with lightning, gusty winds and torrential rains were moving through the area.
GoFundMe Campaign Launched
Neighbors are already rallying around Damien and Jen Kaufman and their daughters, with one neighbor launching a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for them.
“They need our help in the coming days,” wrote organizer Hannah Tatu. “The money will help them with hospital bills, repair bills and more incidentals. Please consider making a donation to help them through this tragic time. Our community loves having them with us, especially hearing and seeing the girls playing around, and we want to see them get back on their feet and support them any way we can.”
As of 8:30 a.m., $500 had already been raised toward a goal of $10,000.
Note: This is a developing local news story. Information may be added to it and/or updated as it becomes available.