The Bird family of Riverdale is expressing gratitude to the community for their support following a house fire on Oct. 1, according to a Oct. 5 report. The family, which lost a father and four of six children in the fire, has released their last name and requested that donations be directed to an official memorial account.
Riverdale Police Chief Casey Warren stated that the mother and two surviving children had previously sought privacy regarding their last name. However, on Monday, the family requested that the chief share their name and their thanks for the community's generosity and compassion.
In a statement, officials noted that several GoFundMe accounts and fundraising efforts have been created. To prevent confusion and ensure contributions reach an authorized account, the family requested that donations be made through the official Bird Family Memorial Account.
The fire occurred in the early morning of Oct. 1. Riverdale’s Fire Chief previously reported that the father and three children, aged approximately 5 to 12, died after being pulled from the house after being trapped inside.
A fourth child died after remaining in critical condition in the hospital for several days. As of Saturday, one of the two surviving children remained hospitalized, according to Warren.
