The Saturday morning fire that claimed the life of six-year-old Adriana Varvaro and injured her parents, Mike and Patti (Hunt) Varvaro, has been declared accidental in nature by investigators.
Herkimer County Emergency Services Director Robert Vandawalker on Monday said fire investigators are believed to have determined the cause of the fire, but are withholding details pending tests on items from the scene.
The Salisbury Fire Department responded to the fire at 107 Heller Rd. Saturday at 1:40 a.m. The west side of the one-story structure already was engulfed by heavy flames, and under zero visibility firefighters located the Dolgeville Central School kindergartner near a bedroom doorway.
“Family members and firefighters made a great effort in attempts to reach Adriana,” Vandawalker said, “however, from evidence at the scene, there unfortunately was likely nothing that could have been done by family members or Salisbury firefighters to rescue the child.”
Vandawalker also said that the fire started in the area of a wall between the home’s computer and living rooms.
Investigators from New the York State Police, the Herkimer County Cause and Origin Team and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control have spent two days at the scene, Vandawalker added.
Dolgeville Mayor Bruce Lyon, a member of the village’s volunteer fire department, Monday stressed the importance of checking smoke detectors in one’s home to make sure they are operational. “It is important to check the batteries in your smoke detector, and to remember to change them when you change your clocks forward or backward,” said Lyon. “This truly was a tragic event.”
Investigators are reportedly still trying to determine if smoke detectors on the first-floor of the home had working batteries.
Funeral services for Adriana will be held on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Miller-Plonka Funeral Home, 30 Wolf St., Dolgeville, with Pastor John Reams of the Salisbury Center United Methodist Church officiating. Calling hours will be held tonight from 4-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Due to the loss of their home, the family has asked in lieu of flowers to make donations to the family. Donations can be sent to the home of Ron and Sharon Hulbert, 9 Rundell St., Dolgeville, NY 13329. Envelopes will also be available at the funeral home.