‘All my Children’ and ‘Superman’ actor Paul Avery killed alongside wife in devastating house fire

A beloved soap opera actor and his wife have died after a devastating house fire ripped through their New Jersey home in the early hours of the morning.

Paul Avery, who starred on "All My Children" for 12 years throughout the 1980s, and his wife Sheila both perished following the blaze at their Blairstown property on Tuesday, June 16.

According to WFMZ, the 81-year-old actor and his wife were inside the house when it went up in flames.

Firefighters arrived at the scene before 1am and managed to pull the couple from the flame-engulfed home, but both Paul and Sheila were left in critical condition and died shortly afterwards, according to Ridge View Echo.

The couple's daughter, Kyle, confirmed the tragic news in an emotional Facebook post on Tuesday.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, and UNILAD has approached local authorities for further comment (Facebook)

Paul Avery's daughter pays tribute following devastating house fire

"I'm devastated to share that our parents, Paul and Sheila Garry Avery, passed away early this morning," she wrote.

"We loved them so much, and they loved us so much, and nobody ever had to wonder if that was so," Kyle added.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, and UNILAD has approached local authorities for further comment.

At the time of his death, Paul was the founder and executive editor of the Ridge View Echo newspaper.

His friend and colleague Joe Phalon told WFMZ: "I always like to call Paul the most interesting man in the world, because he was when you consider everything he's done in his life.

Acting, skydiving, Vietnam veteran, started a newspaper."

Phalon added that Paul's death would "leave a real void in this community," continuing: "Not just Blairstown, but the towns around as well. I think we'll really miss him, and I think it's going to become more apparent over time."

At the time of his death, Paul was the founder and executive editor of the Ridge View Echo newspaper. (Facebook)

Inside Paul Avery's incredible life before and after soap stardom

Long before his soap opera fame, Paul worked as a teenage skydiver before serving as a helicopter crew chief during the Vietnam War, after which he continued flying planes as a hobby.

On "All My Children," Paul played a bartender at Foxy's named Hughie throughout the 80s. He also appeared as a cameraman in 1978's "Superman," along with roles in "Soap" and "Three's Company."

After stepping away from acting, Paul transitioned into journalism, working at the New York Times before going on to found the Ridge View Echo.

According to Soap Opera Digest, Paul became Sheila's full-time caregiver in 2018 after she suffered a stroke, dedicating himself to her care in the years since.

Tributes have continued to pour in for the couple, who are remembered by friends, family and their local community as devoted to one another until the very end.