A small North Shore community remembered the three lives lost in two fires in less than a week Wednesday.
As News 12 reported, one Bayville resident was killed last Wednesday when a fire broke out at 128 Bayville Ave. Officials say the fire started just before 3:30 p.m., leading three fire departments to respond. That victim has not yet been identified.
Just two days before that, 94-year-old Sonia Baron was killed in a house fire at the corner of Bayville Park and Ash Court. Neighbors say Baron was in a wheelchair and trapped inside the burning home.
Firefighters say her husband, 96-year-old Walter Baron, got out of the house, but later died from the serious injuries he sustained. That fire was so intense that more than 100 firefighters were on the scene.
Nassau Legislator Josh Lafazan says people in the close-knit village are grappling with tremendous grief following the fires. Amid the sadness, Lafazan and other Bayville leaders are hosting a candlelight vigil to remember the victims.
"Community is there for you in times of turbulence and in times of joy and celebration, and as a community, we're stronger when we stick together," says Lafazan. "I think tonight's an important reminder of that."
A woman who says it was her parents who died in the fire spoke to the crowd, showing appreciation for them coming out.
"He did a lot of things, he was very, very good, he was a good person and my parents shouldn't have died this way, I don't know what happened," says the woman.
Community members and members of the faith community also thanked the first responders, volunteer firefighters from the village.
Lafazan says he plans to hold a community forum on Dec. 9 about fire safety, something organizers feel is important to focus on.