PLAINFIELD – On Tuesday, 5-year-old Lisbeth Del Carmen Amaya will be laid to rest in a princess dress. The dress was something the little girl coveted. She loved everything princess, especially Elsa of "Frozen."

Lisbeth was a very happy little girl who was very close with her family, said her aunt Sonia Amaya. She liked to talk to her grandmother on the phone in El Salvador.

Her favorite color was light blue and she loved Mickey Mouse and Disney princesses. Lisbeth had many cousins but was especially close with Sonia’s daughter as the two little girls were the same age. They liked to play with their dolls together. Lisbeth’s favorite was her Elsa doll.

Lisbeth loved to dance with her father and uncles.

“She told me at her last birthday she wanted to have a party at my house and wanted me to get her a pink or blue princess dress,” said Sonia Amaya. “I saw her every weekend. She was always so happy to be with her cousin and brother. She loved to play with them.”

A closed-casket viewing will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Browns Funeral Home, 122 Plainfield Ave. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. at Saint Mary's Plainfield, 516 West 6th Street, followed by the burial at Holy Redeemer Cemetery, 1734 Clinton Ave. in South Plainfield.

The community has come to the aid of victims of Sunday's fire on North Avenue in which the young girl died, her brother was hospitalized, and more than 20 people were displaced.

According to a fundraiser on GoFundMe, Lisbeth was trapped in the fire and her 11-year-old brother Alex attempted to save her.

"Lisbeth had just turned 5 years old this past April," said Guisella Penafiel, a teacher in the Plainfield school district and organizer of the fundraiser. "She will always be remembered as a happy and beautiful girl."

Donations will be used to cover funeral expenses as well as helping the rest of the family look for a new place to live, food and clothes, Penafiel said.

Lisbeth was the daughter of Juana Cantarrero and Jose Amaya. The family came to the United States six years ago from El Salvador and Lisbeth was born here, according to Carmen Salavarrieta, director of the city-based nonprofit Angels For Action.

Salavarrieta is organizing the effort to help the family and other residents of the multifamily home. She has known the families of the building for many years, having helped them during the pandemic, and this tragedy hit very close, she said.

"We are concentrating on the funeral first and then will go to things like a new place to live," Salavarrieta said. "It's important they know they are not alone, and that people care about them."

Funeral arrangements for Lisbeth have not yet been finalized.

Lisbeth and her brother Alex, a student at Emerson Community School, were very close, Salavarrieta said. Lisbeth would have been going to Kindergarten in the fall.

"He tried to save her," Salavarrieta said. "He couldn't get to her because of all the smoke. He was in shock. We could see him shaking and having trouble breathing. He was hospitalized for a day."

Salavarrieta said neighbors and the Red Cross have been crucial in aiding the families since the fire.

"The neighbors came out when it happened, as did the Red Cross" she said. "The neighbors have not stopped, bringing food, clothes, everything. Yesterday, all different departments of the Red Cross called to offer their services. It's wonderful how people are coming together to help. That makes a big difference for people who have such a big loss and have been displaced."

The Emerson PTO is collecting donations for the families affected by the fire. Donations can be dropped off at Emerson Community School at 305 Emerson Ave. from 8:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays until July 28. For questions or more information, reach out directly to the Emerson School PTO at emersonptonj@gmail.com. 

They are looking to collect items including clothing for girls sizes 12-18 months, 7 and 12-14 and for boys sizes 4-6 and 12-14; shoes for boys and girls in sizes from 2-5; men's sizes large in shirts and pants 32-34; women's sizes small and medium in shirts and women's shoes sizes 7 and 8. Also, the PTO is seeking donations of essential items such as toiletries, size 5 diapers, wipes, towels, etc. and gift cards to Walmart, Target, ShopRite or Visa and Mastercard.

Earlier:One child killed, another injured; 20-plus people displaced in Plainfield fire

The fire began around 1:20 a.m. Sunday. The police and fire department responded to the scene and found people trapped inside. Multiple occupants were rescued by fire and police from the second and third floors of the two-and-a-half story multi-family home.

Plainfield Deputy Chief Joseph Franklin, who heads the Fire Prevention Bureau within the city's Fire Department, said the girl died at the scene. The surviving child was taken to Hackensack Meridian Health JFK Medical Center in Edison.

No other injuries to occupants were reported, Franklin said in the statement.

Union County investigators are continuing to investigate the cause and origin of the fire. The medical examiner responded to the scene, as did EMS, who conducted medical evaluations. No injuries to fire or police were reported, Franklin said in the statement.

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter forMyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or@CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.