Overview
- Albany police and firefighters found the Western Avenue residence fully engulfed on December 4, rescued four adults, and later confirmed that Sahaja Reddy Udumala died of her injuries.
- Strong winds fueled a fast-moving blaze described by the fire chief as a wall of fire, spreading to an adjoining building and displacing 13 people, with the Red Cross assisting.
- The New York state fire investigations unit has joined local authorities in probing the origin of the fire, and no determination has been released.
- The Consulate General of India in New York offered condolences and is assisting Udumala’s family with formalities including repatriation.
- A family GoFundMe launched by a cousin has raised more than $109,000 toward a $120,000 goal for repatriation, funeral costs, and immediate support, and authorities say a second Indian national injured in the same fire also died on Saturday.