🔥 Four members of a family died in a fire Tuesday afternoon

🔥 A neighbor tried to rescue those inside with a ladder

🔥 A total of nine people lived at the house in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey


LACEY — Two GoFundMe pages have been created to help the surviving relatives of the four people who died in a house fire on Tuesday afternoon.

The fire Tuesday afternoon at a two-story home on Buttonwood Drive claimed the lives of sisters Jennifer Wright, 39, and Alaina Wright, 34, and her four-month-old infant. A 14-year-old girl, whose mother was not home at the time of the fire, also died.

Firefighters managed to rescue the adult siblings' 67-year-old mother, Brenda Wright, who was hospitalized.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said the cause of the fire was likely the result of improperly disposed of smoking material and was accidental.

Neighbors told the Asbury Park Press they heard screams and the sound of someone banging on a window. Another said black smoke quickly began coming from the house as canisters of propane exploded. A neighbor tried using a ladder to get people out before firefighters arrived.

A GoFundMe was set up by coworkers of mail carrier Danny Wright, whose wife Brenda was hospitalized.

"Every single person in the post office where we work is devastated for Danny and his family. We want to help them: they deserve our help. They don't deserve this unspeakable loss," a co-worker wrote on the page she created to help with funeral expenses.

U.S. Postal Service spokesman Xavier C. Hernandez confirmed Daniel Wrights works in Brick.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of this tragic news. We offer our condolences to the employee and offer our support during this time of sorrow," Hernandez said in a statement.

Aftermath of a fire on Buttonwood Drive and Haines Street in Lacey Township
Aftermath of a fire on Buttonwood Drive and Haines Street in Lacey Township (Jersey Coast Emergency News)
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Out running errands

A second page identified the 14-year-old as Angel Allan. She also lived at the house with her mother Melanie and sister Hailey, who were out running errands at the time of the fire, according to Angel's uncle.

"Not only were their home and belongings taken away, but the most beautiful, intelligent, loving and artistic daughter and sister were taken from them," he wrote.

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