Riverdale community rallies around local family after deadly house fire
by Tyrese Boone ksl · KSL.comRIVERDALE, Weber County — The Riverdale community is continuing to rally around the Bird family after a devastating house fire Thursday killed a father and three of his children.
The Red Brick Church in Riverdale held a fundraiser Saturday afternoon to help the surviving family members recover and begin rebuilding.
People stopped by between noon and 2 p.m., bringing items the family can use as they move forward, including toiletries, pantry items, kitchen supplies and furniture.
Britney Dawson, one of the fundraiser organizers, said the community's response has been overwhelming.
"Every time I went on to manage it, there were 20-plus people looking at it at a time," Dawson said. "The response from the community and from the church has been overwhelming, and the support we have for them just showed through that."
The church is now asking for monetary donations to help the family with expenses following the fire. A donation account has been established through America First Credit Union under the Bird Family Memorial Account.*
The fire was reported early Thursday near 4600 South and 1150 West. The home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, according to Riverdale Fire Chief Matt Hennessy.
The father and three children died following the fire. The children who died were between the ages of 5 and 12, according to Hennessy.
The mother and three other children survived the fire. At last report, two of the surviving children remained hospitalized.
Riverdale Police Chief Casey Warren said investigators were continuing to work to determine the cause of the fire, but there was no indication of foul play.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.