BELLEVUE, Pa. — A family of five, including three children, have died after a duplex fire Friday night in Bellevue, according to officials.
The children were identified Saturday morning as 11-year-old Noah Lasch, 6-year-old Kayley Lasch and 4-year-old Hannah Lasch. Their mother has been identified as 38-year-old Angela Lasch. %
%
The father of the children and husband of Angela Lasch, 41-year-old Stephen Lasch, died Saturday afternoon.
The five victims died after having been rescued from the blaze, which was reported just after 9:30 p.m. Friday in the 400 block of Roosevelt Avenue.
Channel 11 News confirmed that the fire went to four alarms at one point.
A police officer was the first person on the scene and kicked in the door of the home only to encounter a wall of black smoke, Channel 11’s Melanie Gillespie reported. The officer said while he could not make it into the house, he tried to put out the flames with a garden hose before firefighters arrived. %
%
By the time the firefighters got to the scene, flames could be seen coming from a first-floor window on the left side of the duplex, according to Matt Brown, Allegheny County Chief of Emergency Services and Fire Marshal. Several crews entered the home and got to the second floor, where all five victims were found unresponsive.
“There was a smoke detector on the second floor but there’s no report of it being activated, so there’s a question as to whether the batteries were functional. But that’s a follow-up to the investigation," Brown said.
The officer at the scene said Friday night that the two adults and three children were “all in bad shape” when they were taken to local hospitals.
Residents of the right side of the duplex got out safely. %
%
Brown said the fire appears to have started in the first floor of the duplex. The cause remains under investigation, but it does not appear to be suspicious.
For all of the victims, Noah Lasch, 11-years-old; Kayley Lasch, 6-years-old; Hannah Lasch, 4-years-old; Angela Lasch, 38-years-old; and Stephen Lasch, 41-years-old the cause of death was determined as acute inhalation of smoke and fumes and the manner of death was accidental.
A small makeshift memorial started to grow Saturday on the steps leading up to the Lasch home.
Channel 11 talked to neighbor Roger Roth, who lives next door to the duplex.
He said he smelled smoke and looked out his back door. When he saw what was happening, he did the first thing that came to his mind.
“I grabbed the hose, turned the water on…and we proceeded to put the fire out in the window to no avail.”
Roth said he’s still in shock over the incident.
“It’s surreal. I’m still in shock. I’m numb,” he said. “I feel so bad for the family, no words can describe it.”
Channel 11 also talked to neighbor Larry Niemczyk, who said he often saw the children out playing in their yard.
Friday night was a very different scene as Niemczyk looked on in horror as the fire blazed.
“I saw the flames coming out the side of the house and I saw a fire hose but I didn’t see who was using it,” he said. “Then I heard this morning that it was the police officer and I saw him kicking in the door and busting the windows.”
He added that once first responders realized there was a family inside, “it really got crazy and they were trying to get in there and get them out.”
Another Bellevue resident told Channel 11 the entire community is feeling the pain of the tragedy.
“To hear the stories of them riding their bikes, this borough is really going to take it hard. It’s a very tragic situation,” said Janet Christie.
A GoFundMe account has been established to raise money to cover funeral costs for the Lasch family. (CLICK HERE)
Donations can also be made to the following churches, noting “The Lasch Family” on checks:
- New Life Community Church, 45 N Freemont Ave., Bellevue, PA 15202
- Bellevue Christian Church, 680 Lincoln Ave., Bellevue, PA 15202