A father and his children have been killed in a fire that broke out during Christmas in the United States.

(CNN) – According to Doug Wilhelm, fire chief of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, a father and his two school-age children caught fire in their home on Christmas Day, possibly due to electrical problems and a dry Christmas tree.

“The birth area is a Christmas tree, so we don’t know if it’s electricity or a dry old Christmas tree,” Wilhelm told CNN Saturday.

“It is with great sadness that we share with you this Christmas morning the sad news that the royal family lost their father in a house fire this morning. [Eric] And two students from Richland Elementary School, “Quakertown Community School District One Facebook post This Saturday.

Police and firefighters were called to the home around 1:22 a.m. Saturday, and five family members were sleeping on the second floor of the house when the fire broke out, Wilhelm said. Respondents initially made several attempts to enter the home, but had difficulty entering due to the size of the fire, the fire chief said.

“It’s very dangerous to go through the front of a building with a fire,” Wilhelm told CNN. “The front door and window were locked, and at the time the fire was moving into the house. It was very difficult for firefighters to enter safely. It took a while.”

When firefighters finally entered the home, they found the bodies of 41-year-old Eric King and his two sons on the second floor of a two-story home, Wilhelm said. The family’s mother and eldest son escaped with minor burns, and Wilhelm said they were treated for injuries at Lehi Valley Hospital and later discharged.

Bucks County Coroner Meredith Bucks said the autopsy office will conduct an autopsy on the three bodies later next week.

Both family dogs were charred in the fire.

One page GoFundMe Has raised more than $ 200,000 created in support of the King family, which is well above the initial target of $ 20,000 on Saturday afternoon.