Schwenksville Fire: 2 Children Of Montco Sheriff's Deputy Killed

SCHWENKSVILLE, PA — Tragedy struck Montgomery County overnight on Wednesday, as a fire raged through a Schwenksville home and claimed the lives of two young boys who were the sons of a sheriff's deputy.

The victims were Bryan Lukens Jr., 11, and Parker Lukens, 4, Pennsylvania State Police confirmed. They are the children of Montgomery County Sheriff's Dep. Bryan Lukens and his wife, Tracy, the Sherrif's Office said.

Tracy and their daughter, Soffia, were hospitalized and released, authorities said. Dep. Bryan Lukens remains in the burn unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital, according to police.

Crews were first called to Lukens home on the 900 block of Summit Avenue, near the intersection with Hillcrest Avenue, at around 5:10 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

The powerful blaze would take hours to extinguish. According to a GoFundMe page launched by family friend Kyle Boelter, Dep. Lukens made "every effort" to save his family and their dogs.

"We can't imagine the pain, anguish and helplessness of losing a child, let alone two whose lives you tried to save from a tragic accident," Boelter wrote.

Fire crews remained at the scene through much of the morning Wednesday as they struggled to bring the fire under control. The home appears to have been destroyed. The cause and origin of the blaze, meanwhile, remain under investigation.

As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the GoFundMe page for the Lukens family had raised more than $34,000 in a matter of just four hours. See here to learn more and to donate.

“Our office is devastated to learn about this tragedy,” Montgomery County Sheriff Sean P. Kilkenny said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Lukens family as they grieve their losses.”

The Lukens children - Bryan and Parker, along with their surviving sister Soffia - are students at Schwenksville Elementary School. In a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, Perkiomen School District spokesperson Jessica Lester said that school counselors, psychologists, and social workers were on hand at the school to support students.

Students were later informed that Bryan and Parker had passed away when the school confirmed details of the fire with authorities.

"PV is a strong community that pulls together in times of crisis," Lester said. "We have already seen evidence of others wanting to support the family through email communications and social media interactions. We are heartened by this response, and know that many will want to help this family, who was well-known within our community."

Dep. Lukens is a graduate of Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School.

Schwenksville Fire Company was joined by Harleysville Fire Company, Skippack Fire Company, Trappe Fire Company, Perkiomen Township Fire Company, Lower Frederick Fire Company, and North Penn Goodwill Service on the scene.

Pennsylvania State Police's Skippack Barracks is investigating the incident.

This is a breaking story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

Image via Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and Patch file photo