ZELIENOPLE — A fatal house fire near New Castle Tuesday morning has touched many in this community.

Killed were 33-year-old Kalle Convery and her daughter, 9-year-old Aidan Kelley.

The girl’s father, 35-year-old Andrew Kelley and brother, 7-year-old Quentin Kelley, escaped and were taken to hospitals.

Convery was a 2000 graduate of Seneca Valley High School, and has family members living in Zelienople. She also was a 2007 graduate of Slippery Rock University.

Andrew Kelley works at Dambach Lumber in Harmony.

Dambach Lumber owner Dave Magill did not wish to comment on the tragedy.

A woman who answered the phone at BRGR in Cranberry Township confirmed that Convery worked there.

“She was amazing,” the woman said.

She said the owner of BRGR will issue a statement regarding Convery’s death.

The Seneca Valley School District issued this statement, “We extend our deepest sympathies to Kalle’s friends and family. We want them to know they are in our thoughts and hearts during this difficult time,” said Linda Andreassi, district director of communications.

On Tuesday, Convery’s Facebook page was full of comments from grieving friends and family who were stunned at her death.

A memorial fund has been opened at youcaring.com to raise funds for the family. As of this morning, $5,655 had been raised toward the $10,000 goal.

A woman who answered the phone at the Boylan Funeral Home in Zelienople confirmed that arrangements were being made through Boylan, but funeral directors had not yet talked to Convery’s family.

Investigators said the fire started about 3 a.m. and quickly spread throughout the two-story house in Shenango Township, Lawrence County, where the family had lived for at least six years.

The state police fire marshal is investigating but a cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

The family was apparently sleeping when Andrew Kelley was “awakened by heat and coughing,” said Trooper Harry Gustafson Jr., the investigating officer.

Kelley got up and went downstairs to check for any problem and discovered the fire. By then, authorities said, flames and smoke had overtaken the kitchen and prevented him from getting back to his bedroom or his children’s bedrooms.

He went outside onto the deck and around the burning house in a frantic attempt to rescue his family, Gustafson said.

Kelley smashed out a back window and pulled out his son. However, he was unable to get to his wife or daughter.

Shenango Township volunteer firefighters found the girl’s body in her first-floor bedroom.

Firefighters found Kalle Convery’s body in her upstairs bedroom.

Lawrence County Deputy Coroner Sam Teolis pronounced the mother and daughter dead at the scene. An autopsy ruled that both died of smoke and carbon monoxide inhalation.

The manner of death is pending completion of the fire marshal’s investigation.

A medical helicopter flew Quentin Kelley to Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment of smoke inhalation. Gustafson said family members Tuesday told police that the boy “is fine” and was expected to be released soon.

Andrew Kelley was treated at Jameson Hospital in New Castle and released.

Eagle staff writers Jim Smith, Paula Grubbs, Amerigo Allegretto and Whitney Randolph contributed to this report.