Community Mourns Potomac Sisters Lost In Long Island House Fire

LONG ISLAND, NY — Two days after two sisters died in a fire while visiting the Hamptons from Potomac on a family vacation, communities are cloaked in mourning.

Jillian, 21, and Lindsay, 19, were asleep in the home when the fire broke out.

According to Southampton Town Police, Lewis Wiener, 60, his wife Alisa, 52, and their son Zachary, 23, as well as their daughters, were vacationing at the house. The children were sleeping on the second floor at 3:35 a.m. Wednesday, when the fire broke out, 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.

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

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

"My heart is just full of sadness hearing this news," Goli Azhdam, a friend and neighbor of the family in Potomac, told News4. "I knew them since they were born, and it's truly shocking. Truly, extremely sad news."

"We had an elderly couple in that house across from them. They would shovel their snow. They would shovel ours, even. Very kind," Azhdam said.

The Washington Hebrew Congregation, where Jillian and Lindsay Wiener's father Lewis is president, shared in a post on their website this statement: "It is with heartbreaking sadness that we share that Lindsay and Jillian Wiener, the daughters of WHC President Lewis Wiener and his wife Alisa, died in a house fire early this morning while the family was in New York. The world has lost two beautiful lights today, and we are heartbroken."

The congregation announced that a funeral service for Jillian and Lindsay Wiener will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at Washington Hebrew Congregation at 3935 Macomb Street NW, Washington, D.C. The service will be livestreamed on the Washington Hebrew Congregation website.

"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," the congregation said. "It was just two months ago that we came together as a community to celebrate with the Wieners when Lew was installed as our congregation's president. Now, as a community, we will again come together to support and lift up Lew, Alisa, and Zach in every way possible."

Jillian and Lindsay Wiener were graduates of Holton-Arms School, an all-girls private school in Bethesda.

In a statement, the school said Jillian played soccer and ice hockey in school, and her passions were yoga and raising awareness and funds for families whose children have cancer. Lindsay was dedicated to service, served as the president of the Jewish Culture Club and was a "bright spirit and a leader," the school said.

"As much of the Holton community can attest, the sisters were warm, engaged members of the Holton community who positively impacted both their classes and the larger school community," the school said.

Jillian was preparing for her senior year at the University of Michigan and Lindsay was returning to Tulane for her sophomore year this fall, Holton-Arms said.

Holton-Arms school head Susanna A. Jones also issued a heartfelt statement: "It is with immense sadness that I write to share with you that Jillian '19 and Lindsay '21 Wiener passed away on Long Island in an early morning house fire. . . As much of the Holton community can attest, the sisters were warm, engaged members of the Holton community who positively impacted both their classes and the larger school community."

Lindsay, she said, "was a bright spirit and a leader, who was also dedicated to service, particularly getting young people involved in politics and generally promoting volunteerism. As president of the Community Service Club during Covid, she found creative ways to encourage student engagement in service. As president of the Jewish Culture Club, she also did much to educate the community about Jewish religious traditions."

"Jillian and Lindsay's passing is a great loss to the Holton-Arms community and both will be deeply missed by their family, friends, and the school community," she said.

Fire Investigation

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

Ryan Murphy, public safety and emergency management administrator for Southampton Town, told Patch that while the home was rented for the vacation, there was no rental permit on file for the home and therefore, the property had not been inspected. He also said he believes there is "a violation on record from the building department," but did not specify what that violation was.
The homeowners could not immediately be reached for comment.

Murphy said he did not know how the rental was being conducted. "I don't know how they engaged that rental," he said.

He added that, to the best of his knowledge, and based on the town's investigation, there were smoke detectors in the house, but he was unable to say "if they were operational. I can't speak to that."

Murphy said property owners "will be held accountable for renting without the benefit of a permit."

Patrol officers found the residence fully engulfed with the Wieners and their son, who had escaped the blaze, outside, police said. The girls were unaccounted for and believed to be inside the home, police said.

Fire personnel found the girls inside the home; they were transported by ambulance to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, police said. Although CPR was performed, the girls died, police said.

The other three family members were transported with non-life threatening injuries to the hospital, police said.