A 21-year-old woman who was just months away from graduating college died in a house fire on Christmas Eve.
The Needham, Massachusetts, fire started just before 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Dec. 24. It “appears to have started in the home’s garage and the preliminary evidence suggests an accidental cause,” according to a press release from Needham Fire Chief Thomas Conroy, Needham Police Chief John Schlittler, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine, and Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey.
Two adults inside the home at 28 Woodworth Road escaped the four-alarm blaze, but one person—later identified as Kayla Corrigan—was found dead inside.
Corrigan, a senior at Syracuse University in New York, was identified as the victim by her sorority, Sigma Delta Tau.
Senior Vice President and Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves also confirmed her death in an email to students on Friday, Dec. 26, the school’s newspaper, The Daily Orange, reported.
Corrigan studied at the Whitman School of Management and was pursuing a degree in marketing management, according to the paper. She was expected to graduate in the spring, Fox affiliate WFXT reported.
“Our thoughts have been with the family since the early morning hours of December 24 and they remain with the family today,” Conroy said. “I want to recognize the outpouring of compassion from Needham residents who are sending their love and support.”
Authorities said about 75 firefighters from across the region fought the fire for more than seven hours at the three-story, single-family home.
“We haven’t determined the cause of this fire yet, but we know that tragedies like this one are most common in the winter months,” Davine said, urging residents to ensure they have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level of their homes—and a practiced escape plan in case of emergency.
A GoFundMe fundraiser launched after Corrigan’s death described her as a “beautiful and beloved sister and daughter.”
“Words cannot express the depth of our grief or the shock of this loss. Kayla was a beautiful 21 year old girl who was deeply loved by many. Her absence has left a space that can never be filled. We will carry her memory with us always,” the organizer wrote.
The fundraiser said it was created to support her family after “the fire destroyed their home and their belongings, leaving them facing both emotional devastation and sudden financial hardship. Their lives were changed in an instant.”
In a tribute shared on Instagram, Sigma Delta Tau remembered Corrigan as someone known for her “warmth, her humor and her selflessness.”
“Kayla will forever hold a special place in our hearts and will be undoubtably missed,” the sorority wrote.
