2 Sisters Who Graduated From Holton-Arms Killed In Vacation House Fire

LONG ISLAND, NY — Two sisters from Potomac, graduates of Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, were killed in an early morning fire on Wednesday in the home their family was renting in the Hamptons on Long Island.

Police identified the sisters as Jillian Wiener, 21, and Lindsay Wiener, 19, who were on vacation with their parents, Lewis Wiener, 60, and Alisa Wiener, 52, and brother Zachary Wiener, 23, on Long Island, Patch editor Lisa Finn reported Wednesday.

The home caught fire shortly before 4 a.m., according to the reports. The house had smoke detectors, but it is unclear if the detectors went off.

The parents and the brother were able to escape the house fire and were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to reports. Jillian and Lindsay were found by firefighters inside the home. They were pronounced dead at the hospital, according to reports.

Southampton Town officials told Patch editor Lisa Finn that the home had no valid rental permit, meaning that there had been no inspection of the property to ensure safety.

The children were sleeping on the second floor, and the parents were sleeping on the first floor; Lewis Weiner awakened to the sound of glass breaking and screamed for his family to get out, police said.

Lewis and Alisa Wiener escaped the burning home, police said. When they realized the children had not exited the house, Wiener tried to gain entry back in; however, the flames prevented him from gaining access, police said. The couple's son Zachary had escaped out of a second-story window, police said.

"Tragically the two daughters were unable to escape," police said.

Holton-Arms school head Susanna A. Jones said Jillian was a soccer and ice hockey player, artist, yoga instructor and raised funds for children's cancer; Lindsay was president of the Community Service Club and the Jewish Culture Club, Newsday reported.

Holton-Arms is an all-girls school in Bethesda with an enrollment of about 700 students, according to its website.

Jillian was to be a senior at the University of Michigan, while Lindsay would have been a sophomore at Tulane, the Newsday report said.