GERMANTOWN - Fire swept through a two-story house at 395 Northern Blvd. early Monday morning, taking the lives of a 55-year-old woman, her 13-year-old daughter and her 11-year-old granddaughter.
The owner of the house, James Scholefield, 53, a chief engineer at Albany public radio station WAMC, his 38-year-old wife, Korreena Salerno, and their 13-year-old son all escaped, but Scholefield was treated for burns after he tried to rescue the three family members still inside, according to the Associated Press.
The couple's daughter, Carianne, 11, her grandmother, Linda Forstrom, 55, and Forstrom's daughter, Mara Kimberly Mahig, 13, died in the fire.
The two girls were both students at Germantown Central School. Mara was an eighth-grader who enjoyed writing and poetry; Carianne was a sixth-grader who served as a People to People Ambassador to Australia last year.
Forstrom, a marketing research specialist and the mother of Korreena Salerno, had worked for the Always Company in Kingston.
At Germantown Central School, counseling was offered to students, faculty and staff members trying to grapple with the tragedy.
"We're very saddened by this tragic event," said Stephanie Forsyth, director of pupil services. "We're here for the students and the faculty."
Authorities say the blaze erupted around 1:30 a.m. Firefighters responded after 13-year-old James Scholefield ran from the burning house and asked neighbors to call 911.
About 75 firefighters from the Germantown, Greenport, Livingston and Clermont fire companies battled the fire for about two hours before bringing it under control at around 3:26 a.m. Fire officials were still on the scene 12 hours later, sifting through the debris, trying to find the cause of the fire.
Authorities believe the fire began in the middle of the 15-by-35-foot house, but were uncertain whether it started on the second floor, where the bedrooms were, or on the first floor.
Everyone was on the second floor when the fire broke out, authorities said. Germantown Fire Chief John Raustici declined to say where the bodies of the victims were found.
"The house was fully involved when we arrived," said Assistant Germantown Fire Chief Michael Lawson. "Flames were shooting through the first and second floors as well as through the attic."
Lawson said firefighters tried to enter the inferno to rescue those trapped inside were beaten back by the intensity of the heat and flames.
Eventually, he said, firefighters were able to gain access by cutting out a section of the house frame.
Authorities did not remove the victims from the home until after noon. Lt. James Andrews, a spokesman for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, said the bodies were taken to Saint Peter's Hospital in Albany.
The north end of Northern Boulevard remained closed as of 4:30 p.m. Monday.
Michael Therio, the Germantown school's guidance director, sent a letter home with students informing parents of counseling services available at the school and urging parents to monitor their children for any signs of sleeplessness, loss of appetite, or other stress indicators.
Forsyth said counseling services would be available throughout the week.
Funeral services are planned at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Reformed Church of Germantown.
A fund to assist the Scholefield family has been established at HSBC Bank. Donations can be sent to: The Scholefield Family Relief Fund, care of HSBC Bank, 899 Western Ave., Albany, N.Y., 12203.
