Five people are dead — including four children — after a house fire in the Pocono Mountains of eastern Pennsylvania overnight, officials said.
Fire crews and state troopers were dispatched to a property on Willow Street in Franklin Township shortly before midnight, Pennsylvania State Police said in a Wednesday morning update.
When first responders arrived, the first floor was “completely engulfed” in flames, with fire also visible at the back of the building’s second floor, NBC Philadelphia reported.
After extinguishing the fire, investigators found five victims, one adult and four children, local ABC affiliate WPVI reported.
Police have not released the victims’ names or ages, but the Leighton Area School District said three of its students are believed to be among those killed: a kindergartner, a first grader and a ninth grader.
“There are no words to express how deeply sad this is for everybody,” Superintendent Jason Moser wrote in a statement to the community. “Please keep the families, friends, classmates and anyone who has a close relationship with the deceased in your thoughts and prayers.”
The school district is providing access to professionals to support students in need.
“We will have dedicated spaces in each of our buildings available for any children who need to speak with qualified professionals to provide emotional support,” Moser said. “Tragedies such as this are incredibly difficult and felt very deeply throughout the community. 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.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
