A devastating house fire in the Town of Dryden claimed the lives of two women and a young child late Wednesday morning, according to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office.
The fire occurred at 321 Cortland Road. Authorities identified the victims as Katherine Gray, 31, Christy Oralls, 30, and Oralls’ 3-year-old daughter, Paisley Wood.
A fourth victim, David Welch, 54, was transported to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and was listed in stable condition, officials said. Welch is the uncle of Gray and Oralls. His wife was not home at the time of the fire.
Investigators said Welch and his wife rented the property, where they lived along with Oralls and her daughter. Gray, also Welch’s niece, was visiting from Whitney Point at the time of the fire.
First responders were called to the scene at approximately 10:08 a.m. after receiving reports of a structure fire in the 300 block of Cortland Road, also known as State Route 13. The home suffered severe damage, with much of the destruction appearing concentrated at the rear of the residence.
Route 13 was closed for several hours between Freeville Road in Dryden and Gulf Hill Road in Virgil as crews worked to extinguish the fire and search through the damaged property.
As of 5:04 p.m., the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
“Our hearts are with the family, and everyone affected by this devastating fire,” said Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne. “On behalf of the Sheriff’s Office, we extend our deepest condolences. This is a heartbreaking loss for our community.”
