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.”
More:Three siblings die in ‘unimaginable’ Monday morning house fire northeast of Marshfield
The three children attended school in Marshfield, a school district that was also hit hard by the loss.
“Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time,” Marshfield superintendent Mike Henry said Monday. “The district will have additional staff on hand in both buildings to assist with students and staff who need someone to speak with or a quiet place to be. I continue to be so thankful to be part of such a caring school community.”
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.