Within hours of a devastating Webster County house fire that claimed the lives of three children, support for the surviving parents had arrived in droves.

Daniel and Carissa Smythe’s home caught fire early Monday morning, nine miles northwest of Marshfield, a blaze that claimed the lives of Ethan Smythe, age 16; Danny Smythe, age 13; and Bella Smythe, age 12.

The fire, which appears to be an accident, according to Missouri fire officials, and remains under investigation, elicited a response from a half-dozen local fire agencies.

Compounding the unthinkable grief of losing three children, relative Adam Cole said the Smythe family did not have life insurance or home insurance because Daniel had recently changed jobs.

Not only were the husband and wife displaced, they also faced the stress of coming up with money to give Ethan, Danny and Bella a proper funeral.

Cole created a GoFundMe page around noon Monday explaining the tragic circumstances. Twenty-four hours later, 607 people, most from southwest Missouri, had donated for a collective total of nearly $68,000 of the $100,000 goal.

“Ethan, Danny, and Bella were so beautiful and we miss them dearly. We know and understand that money isn’t going to bring them back,” Cole said. “However, it will help equip Carissa and Daniel with the tools and equipment needed to run the marathon ahead of them. A marathon they have not been training to run.”