Family of 6 burned to death but mother saved after being at laundromat

A tragedy struck a local community in Pottsville, Pennsylvania after a fire burned a family of 6, including four children to death.

However, the mother of the family was saved after being at a friend’s house while washing laundry, according to a statement released by Pennsylvania police.

The fire swept through the family's home, officials said, killing four young children, their father, and another relative, while the mother was on the other side of the street washing clothes at a friend's house.

The fire started around 11:55 pm on Sunday at the home of a family in Pottsville, in eastern Pennsylvania. Firefighters later found all the bodies on the third floor of the building, located on a steep hill near the DG Yuengling & Son brewery in Pennsylvania, about 90 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The fire was declared under control shortly before 1:00 am. State Police and Fire Marshals scoured through the rubble Monday morning as they were searching for the cause of the fire, which investigators said started in the kitchen.

Fire Chief Todd March said it was the deadliest fire in Pottsville, a city of about 14,000, in his 37 year career.
"It's hard to take, and there was nothing we could do," he said.

The office of the Schuylkill County coroner identified the victims as father, Eric Brown, 30, and his children, Elijah Brown, 2, Emily Brown, 3, Jeremiah Brown, 7, and Joy Brown, 8. Another adult, Kristina Thomas, 26, also died in the fire. She is the sister of 28-year-old Kelly Brown, the mother, who survived.

Kelly Brown had been doing laundry at a nearby neighbor's house at the time of the fire because the washing machine was broken, according to the neighbor, Jennifer Purcell.

“Obviously, the entire community is devastated and shocked. I feel really bad for the mother as she was left behind to live on her own while her entire family died. It must be very hard for her. I hope she receives the proper care,” Opal Dixon, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania told YourJewishNews.com after watching the video of the fire.

Source:yourjewishnews