2 Brothers Dead, Parents Injured After New York House Fire: 'It’s Just a Terrible Thing'
Kyle Dilegame and his brother, Matthew Kreamer, died in a fire on Saturday while their parents were seriously injured
A Long Island, New York, community is coming together in the wake of a house fire that claimed the lives of two young men.
Kyle Dilegame, 16, and his brother, Matthew Kreamer, 24, died in an early-morning fire on Saturday in West Islip, according to ABC affiliate WABC-TV and CBS affiliate WCBS-TV.
Their parents — Toni Kreamer, 53, and Joseph Dilegame, 54 — were hospitalized with serious injuries but are expected to recover, the news stations reported.
Suffolk County police officers arrived at the residence on Udall Road shortly before 6 a.m. to find the home fully engulfed. The brothers were found dead inside the house, per WABC-TV.
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The parents were taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital, and Joseph was later transported to another facility due to the severity of his injuries, the New York Daily News reported.
Firefighters did not see any working fire detectors inside the home, and it was not immediately known if there were any, per WCBS-TV. The fire is currently under investigation.
On Monday, West Islip High School was decorated in its school colors to honor Kyle, who played on the football team, and Matthew, who graduated from the school, CW affiliate KPIX-TV reported.
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“We all wore blue and gold,” friend Daniel Kossman told KPIX-TV, adding: “There was a memorial in his football locker, with flowers and post-it notes written to him, showing all the love and support we had for him.”
“It’s just a terrible thing to happen to him,” Kossman said of Kyle.
The school's football team paid tribute to their fallen teammate and his brother in a Facebook post.
“Through Kyle and Matthew's loss, we are reminded or given a lesson to never take a single moment or day for granted,” the post reads. “In life, and in appreciating the people around us. Our friends and families. Hug your kids tighter. Give someone a call to say hi. Lend a hand. Lend an ear. Just be there. We are ALL in this together.”
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Those in the community paid their respects to the family by placing bouquets of flowers and candles outside the home, per KPIX-TV.
Matthew’s girlfriend, Tammy Johnson, meanwhile, spoke of his kind spirit to WABC-TV.
"He was the most — the most thoughtful, generous, wonderful soul," she said. "This world is missing such a beautiful person. I'm at a loss, just at a loss without him."
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help with funeral expenses, medical bills and housing costs. More than $180,000 has been raised as of Wednesday afternoon.
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