Fatal House Fire Linked to Embers Discarded From Fireplace.
The deadly fire that roared through a stately Victorian home in Connecticut near the water e A mother’s screams outside the home, with her parents and three young daughters trapped behind a wall of flames as firefighters were unable to rescue the doomed occupants.
The owner, Madonna Badger, an advertising executive in Manhattan, survived the fire, as did Michael Borcina, a contractor who had worked on the home and whom the police have described as a family friend.
Around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Mr. Borcina removed embers from the fireplace and put them in a bag, which he placed in either the house’s mudroom or an adjacent trash enclosure, said Barry Callahan, Stamford’s chief fire marshal.
As the crew helped her down, Ms. Badger directed firefighters to the third floor, where she said her children were sleeping, according to the Stamford fire chief, Antonio J. Conte.
Mr. Borcina told fire officials he had tried to flee with two of the girls. The girl was found sitting on the books, Chief Conte said.
Under the state’s fire regulations, smoke alarms are not required for single-family homes built before 1976, said Terry A. Brouwer, a supervisor for the Office of State Fire Marshal.
Ms. Badger had recently changed the building permit to include plans for the installation of a new security alarm and fire and smoke detection system, the mayor added.
Yule Log Embers Blamed For Fire That Killed Madonna Badger’s Three Kids And Her Parents
A blaze that ripped through a family’s home on Christmas Day killing fashion executive Madonna Badger’s three young children and her parents appears to have been the result of Yule log embers.
The prominent New York businesswoman, who created the iconic Calvin Klein underwear ad with Mark Wahlberg, had been wrapping gifts by the fireplace with Michael Borcina until around 3 am.
