KENTWOOD, Mich. — The community is stepping up to help provide for a Kentwood family who lost two loved ones and their home in a fire earlier this week.
The fire happened just before 3:30 a.m. at a home in the 400 block of 48th Street SE.
Authorities say there were 11 people inside the home at the time. Only nine made it out safely.
According to family friends, the victims were 12-year-old Ashlee Duran and 19-year-old Nety Chavez. Chavez was a cousin visiting from Mexico.
Investigators say both girls were killed from smoke inhalation.
Shortly after the fire, friends set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for the family's funeral expenses and funds to send the body of the 19-year-old girl back to her parents in Mexico.
In addition to the fundraiser, friends and loved ones are asking anyone with clothes, food and water to donate to the family as they lost everything in the fire.
Here is a list of their needs:
- Infant formula
- Baby girl - 0-3 months
- Girl's - 7t/8t
- Boy's - Large
- Women's - Medium
- Women's - Large
- Men's - Medium
- Women's - 2xl
- Men's - xl/2xl
- Shoe sizes - Little girl size 13
- Women's sizes: 6, 7, 7 and 8.5
- Men's sizes: 8, 8.5, 8.5 and 9
You can bring physical donations to the Kelloggsville Schools Early Childhood Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"In a time like this, the least we can do as a school and community is to help support that family and others that might be affected by this tragic incident. Kelloggsville Public Schools will continue to have our Crisis Team available for any and all students and staff that need extra support during the school day in the coming weeks," Kelloggsville Public Schools Superintendent Jim Alston said.
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