Christmas tree fire kills father and 2 sons — community raises $300K for survivors

Three members of a family in Quakertown, Pennsylvania were killed on Christmas Day in a house fire.

"The area of origin was a Christmas tree, so we're not sure if it's because of electric or a dried up old Christmas tree," Fire Marshal Doug Wilhelm told CNN Saturday.

The Quakertown Community School District put out a Christmas Day Facebook post alerting the community to the loss and providing a link to a GoFund Me page.

"It is with unbearable sorrow that we share with you this Christmas morning the tragic news that the King family, in a house fire early today, lost their father and two Richland Elementary School students, Liam, a fifth-grader, and Patrick, a third-grader. Mom and Brady, an eighth-grader at Strayer Middle School, thankfully survived," the District explained. "This news is devastating for the District community and the Quakertown area at large. Eric, Kristin, and their boys are very active in the community, and the kind of people who make this a special place to live and attend school. The School District sends its heartfelt sympathy to the King family and their many friends and relatives."

As of publication, the GoFund Me effort had raised $298,936.