2 sisters killed in Forward Township fire, fundraiser launched to support family
A GoFundMe for the two people killed in a Memorial Day house fire in Forward Township has raised more than $10,000 in its first 24 hours.
The GoFundMe identified sisters Christine Lamperski and Sue Ann Norris as those killed in the fire at 396 Old Route 68. The fire also killed Roo, the family dog, it said.
The GoFundMe was started by community member April Vitovsky, who said the fundraiser “was just the result of the community looking for a way to help, and that’s what we came up with.”
State police and the Butler County coroner have not yet identified the two killed in the fire. The cause of the fire also has not been determined.
“With the permission of the family, we would like to try to take some of the burden off of Mike, Lisa, Stacy, Casey, and Craig by using this GoFundMe to contribute to laying Chrissy and Susie to rest,” Vitovsky said in the GoFundMe.
The fundraiser had received 43 donations totaling $10,100 as of 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
The fire was reported around 5:30 p.m. Monday, according to a news release from state police.
Butler County Emergency Services dispatch reports indicated a woman had called 911 to report a couch on fire. The woman soon stopped responding, but dispatchers could hear crackling through the phone. They were unsure if the woman had exited the home at the time.
Emergency responders arriving reported a “fully involved” structure fire. Firefighters circled the home but were unable to secure entry.
Firefighters reportedly located an individual outside the home around 6 p.m., but another was still inside. A firefighter was also briefly unaccounted for around the same time but was found minutes later.
The fire was reported to be under control around 6:30 p.m., and crews cleared the scene around 8:30 p.m.
