Three Girls Die in Orange County Fire

MYFOXNY.COM - State police say a house fire that killed three girls in upstate New York might have been touched off by a lit candle in a Halloween display, but they may never know exactly what happened.

Capt. Wayne Olson says Carolyn Dorritie told investigators the candle was burning Sunday night outside her daughters' rooms and she told them to put it out.

Olson says Tuesday the fire damage makes it difficult to determine if it was left burning or smoldering. Investigators have ruled out an electrical origin for the Monday morning blaze

The fire broke out just after 8 a.m. in a two-story house at 106 Peenpack Trail in Huguenot, a Hamlet in the Town of Deerpark.

Firefighters found the bodies of Cassandra Forritie, 12; Julie Forritie, 10; and Devon Fahey, 12 in two bedrooms on the second floor. Devon and Cassandra were classmates in the 7th grade. Devon was visiting the house for a sleepover. Cassandra and Julie were sisters.

Another sister, Courtney Dorritie, 15, escaped the fire by jumping from a bedroom window at the back of then house. She was survived the jump and the fire without serious injury, police said.

The mother of the sisters, Caroline Dorritie, 44, also escaped unharmed, police said. She ran for help and found several town highway department workers in the area.

The workers tried to get to upper floor of the home, but couldn't get to the bedrooms.

Caroline Dorritie is a math teacher in the Port Jervis City School District.

The three girls apparently succumbed to the smoke, police said.

SkyFoxHD was over the charred house several hours later where fire investigators could be seen sifting through debris.

Firefighters from Westbrookville, Otisville, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, Cuddebackville, Summitville, Lumberland, Port Jervis and Milford, Pa., responded to the scene, officials said.