Two young sisters from Maryland died in a house fire on Long Island early on Wednesday morning.
Around 3:30 in the morning, Jillian and Lindsay Wiener, 21 and 19, were sound asleep in the family’s vacation home in Noyack Bay on Long Island.
The sound of shattering glass awakened up the 60-year-old father of the daughters, Lewis Wiener, a beloved leader and member of the family’s synagogue, who instantly made an attempt to flee with his family.
When they arrived at the residence on Spring Lane, according to the local fire officials, the house was completely engulfed in flames.
According to WUSA, Jillian and Lindsay were stuck in their upstairs bedroom while Lewis’ wife Alisa Wiener, 52, and son Zachary, 23, were both able to escape.
According to reports, Lewis attempted to enter the house again to retrieve the girls, but the fire was too strong.
According to the New York Post, local authorities have stated that the fire’s cause does not seem suspicious.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Jillian was a senior studying earth and environmental science at the University of Michigan. While Lindsay, her younger sister, was just a few weeks away from beginning her second year at New Orleans’ Tulane University.
Lewis, their father, is the president of the Washington Hebrew Congregation, which describes itself as a “progressive, inclusive, caring, and compassionate congregation, we embrace our connection to Reform Judaism and the warmth and wonder of God.”
Along with being a trial lawyer, he formerly worked in the Department of Justice for six years.
The family’s Maryland synagogue said in a statement: “The world has lost two beautiful lights today, and the Washington Hebrew Congregation community is heartbroken. Through their leadership and service, acts of kindness, and friendship, the Wiener family – Lewis, Alisa, Zach, Jillian, and Lindsay – has touched so many lives at Washington Hebrew.”
Lewis, Alisa, and Zachary Wiener were all admitted to the hospital with what the authorities described as non-life threatening wounds.
The family was known to take vacations at this house in Noyack Bay, a Long Island Hamptons community.
Upon receiving the news, a family friend named Goli Azhdam said: “My heart is just full of sadness. I knew them since they were born and it’s truly shocking. Truly, extremely sad news.”
Investigations continue to determine the fire’s cause.