A fire at a Quakertown home in the early morning hours of Christmas killed a man and two of his children. Eric, Liam and Patrick King died in the blaze at a residence on Essex Court.

            Kristin King – Eric's wife and the mother of Liam and Patrick – along with their oldest son Brady, survived the blaze.

            The family was upstairs when the fire – which also killed two dogs – started shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 25, according to Douglas Wilhelm, Quakertown's fire marshal. He said the house was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived.

            Wilhelm described the nature of the fire as accidental. He said Tuesday morning that the investigation is centered on a live Christmas tree inside the home.

            An autopsy of the three victims, completed Monday by the office of the Bucks County Coroner Meredith J. Buck, determined the cause of death as smoke and soot inhalation and thermal burns.  Buck ruled the manner of death as accidental.

            Eleven fire companies responded to the incident, which also caused significant damage to an attached twin home.

            A now shutdown GoFundMe page, started on the behalf of the family, described Eric and Kristin King as high school sweethearts and "the happiest people you will ever meet." It stated that they were always smiling and full of positive spirits. "[Y]ou just couldn't help but to love them."

            The family was a huge part of the Quakertown Youth Baseball Association and spent "its days and nights at the baseball fields," according to the page.

            Liam and Patrick King both attended Richland Elementary School. Brady is an eighth-grader at Strayer Middle School, according to information posted on the Quakertown Community School District's website.

            It also states that the district's Crisis Response Team, in close partnership with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit, is setting up a series of supports for students, parents, and staff and faculty. These supports will continue when schools reopen.