3 Waukesha Fire Victims Identified; Family Asking For Help

WAUKESHA, WI -- The three people who died in the early-morning fire in Waukesha on Feb. 19 have been identified, and the family is asking the public to help raise money for their funerals.

The victims have been identified as father Kevin Duffy, his 14-year-old Son Kevin, Jr. and his 12-year-old daughter Kylie.

Fire officials said an 80-year-old woman was evacuated from the house and was transported to Waukesha Memorial Hospital. A 9-year-old boy, Konner Duffy, was also evacuated from the residence and transported to Children's Hospital. He has since been released.

"Konner Duffy is in the hospital and we are awaiting updates on his status. Kevin Duffy Sr., Kylie Duffy, and Kevin Duffy Jr. did not survive the fire and our family is heartbroken and devastated by this loss. We cannot begin to express the emotional turmoil that has come from one terribly awful and tragic morning,"Jillian Newell wrote in a GoFundMe post this week.

How to Help:

Visit the Duffy Family Fire GoFundMe page to help the family pay for funeral expenses.

The family is also asking members of the public to reach out to Jillian Newell, at jillian.newell@gmail.com for information on where to send donations or contributions.

"We ask that you please donate what you can to assist with the funeral and hospital expenses as Casey Duffy and her family will be having to burden these costs. Casey Duffy has severe chrohn's disease, with countless surgeries and treatments she is unable to work due to her illness and is now a single parent," Newell wrote.

According to a WTMJ report Wednesday morning, a neighbor told the station that Kevin Duffy, Sr., died while trying to save two children. “[He] came down with one of the kids and he told the kid to stay here and he ran back up to get the other two kids and he never came back out,” said the unidentified neighbor to WTMJ.

When deputies arrived, officials said they valiantly tried saving the lives of those who were trapped inside. According to reports, deputies tried reaching the victims inside, but could not get through the flames. One deputy had to be treated for first-degree burns.

As a result, that deputy was later treated and released from the hospital for first-degree burns. A first-degree burn is described as a burn that affects the top layer of a person's skin. While superficial, medical professionals say these types of burns can be large in size, very painful and require medical attention.

"The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, is saddened to inform the community that three deceased victims were recovered from the residential structure fire in the Town of Waukesha," Town of Waukesha Fire Department officials said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

Town of Waukesha firefighters responded to the fire on Arcadian Ave. just after 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19. According to the Town of Waukesha Fire Department, the fire was reported to authorities by a neighbor who called 911.

The fire caused substantial property damage to the residence, officials said. Authorities are investigating the scene to determine the cause of the fire.

Image Via GoFundMe