The parents of the two young boys who died in a house fire on the Snaw'Naw'As First Nation early Wednesday morning spent Thursday surrounded by family members.

Jordan, 9, and Devon Drake, 6, died after flames consumed a relative's home on Quil-xe-mait Road in Lantzville.

Anitsa Hawkins and Kyle Evans and their two sons, Kiodi, 4, and William, 9, escaped the burning home Wednesday at about 5 a.m. The two brothers, who were spending the night in the bedroom closest to where the fire started, perished. The boys' parents are Lara Edwards and James Drake.

In a press conference held at the band office Thursday, band councillor Natasha Bob said the community is supporting the family and that it will take a long time to work through their grief.

"It's definitely been a long night and a long, long day," Bob said Thursday. "It's really heavy on the heart."

Hawkins, Evans and their sons have been discharged from hospital. Relatives say they are struggling with the loss of Jordan and Devon, and the pain of not being able to save them. "She's pretty upset, she's blaming herself," Sheena Edwards said of Hawkins, who is a relative.

Hawkins was treated in hospital for smoke inhalation and Evans had burns on his ears and hands, sustained after he went back in the house to try to save the boys.

He was batted back by flames that eventually levelled the house.

On Thursday, a demolition crew tore down the blackened rubble that remained of the home.

Hawkins' family is staying with her father at a house on the reserve, her brother Hawk Hawkins said.

Jordan and Devon were sent to the house on Tuesday night because their parents were concerned about falling trees during the windstorm, which had already knocked over one large tree and caused a power outage.

Nanaimo RCMP said candles were in use at the house but they have not determined whether they caused the fire.

Sheena Edwards said that Jordan and Devon were inseparable, going everywhere together and making friends with many of the children on the reserve. "All our kids are devastated," she said. "It's going to be hard on all the kids, because [Jordan and Devon] were quite popular."

Edwards said if the neighbourhood kids weren't at her house, they were at Jordan and Devon's house. "It was the house that everyone went to," she said. "They'd have water balloon fights or play video games or play on the trampoline."

Almost all the children from the reserve stayed home from Seaview Elementary School, where Jordan and Devon were in Grade 3 and Grade 1, respectively, said Donna Reimer, spokeswoman for the NanaimoLadysmith school district.

A crisis response team was available to provide support and counselling for students and teachers, Reimer said.

Two trust funds have been set up by the Snaw'Naw'As First Nation to help the two devastated families. A grief centre has been set up at the Snaw'Naw'As education building on the reserve, said Brent Edwards, band director of operations.

The community is collecting donations such as gift cards, clothing, furniture and household items to help Hawkins and Evans, who lost their home and two vehicles in the fire and did not have insurance.

The CIBC bank accounts set up by the band are called the Memorial Fund for Jordan and Devon and A New Beginning, with the latter designated to support Hawkins and Evans.

Non-monetary donations can be made by calling Sandra Campbell at 250-951-4738.

kderosa@timescolonist.com