Dad, 2 sons killed in Christmas house fire; mom, 1 son survive

A father and two of his young sons were killed in a house fire early on Christmas in a blaze that ignited near the Christmas tree, officials said.

Eric King and his sons Liam, a fifth-grader, and Patrick, a third-grader, died in their home in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Quakertown Community School District Superintendent Bill Harner said.

The boys' mother, Kristin King, and oldest son Brady, an eighth-grader, survived, Harner said.

This photo of the Kings was included in a GoFundMe page set up for the family.

The accidental fire started in the area of the Christmas tree, Fire Marshal Douglas Wilhelm told ABC News.

Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree told reporters, "We're looking at the Christmas tree. That may have ignited as a result of Christmas lights on that Christmas tree."

The family had a live Christmas tree, so the dryness may have contributed, Wilhelm said, stressing that the cause will be hard to determine because there's "nothing left."

The "rapid moving fire" left "so much devastation," Wilhelm said.

The superintendent said in a statement, "This news is devastating to the school district community and the Quakertown area at large. Eric and Kristin and their boys are very active in our community. The School District sends its heartfelt sympathy to the King family and their many friends and relatives."

ABC News' Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.