The Luzerne County Coroner has identified an 11-year-old boy and a 64-year-old woman who died in separate house fires last week.
Coroner Dion Fernandes said the 11-year-old who died on the scene of a Feb. 11 fire on North Welles Street in Kingston was Logan Scalfer. He ruled the manner of death accidental and said the boy died from "inhalation of products of combustion."
In Edwardsville, Fernandes said Rita Sanders died in a Feb. 13 fire in her home at 560 Cherry St. Following an autopsy, Fernandes found the same cause and manner of death for Sanders.
Scalfer's 13-year-old brother also died as a result of the Kingston fire at Lehigh Valley Hospital- Cedar Crest in Allentown on Thursday night. Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio declined to identify the boy in a release issued last week and could not be reached for updates Wednesday afternoon.
Assistance for families
Two GoFundMe accounts have been set up to help family members from the Kingston fire. One set up by Kingston Police has raised more than $83K while one set up by family members has raised more than $37K.
In a post on Tuesday, Kingston Municipal Police called support for the family "overwhelming," and noted they can now only accept monetary donations or new items.
On Friday after the fire in Edwardsville, a neighbor remembered Sanders as "The Cat Woman," and said she used her home as a rescue for cats.
Another GoFundMe page organized by Sanders' sister is raising funds for her funeral expenses. As of Wednesday afternoon, the page had collected $375 in donations.
