Firefighters were driven from the burning Dryden home by rapidly deteriorating conditions as strong winds fueled the blaze that killed a mother, her young daughter and a relative.

By Finn Lincoln
syracuse.com

DRYDEN, N.Y. - A fire in Dryden that killed three people Wednesday was burning so fiercely that firefighters in the home had to evacuate the house, according to the Dryden Fire Department.

The firefighters were initially inside the home trying to put out the fire and search for people, the fire department said in a news release Thursday. But deteriorating conditions forced them to get out and fight the fire from the outside, the department said.

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A mom, her 3-year-old daughter and a relative were unable to escape and were later found dead inside, according to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Derek Osborne named the deceased Wednesday night:

• Christy M. Oralls, 30, of Dryden
• Paisley M. Wood, 3, of Dryden
• Katherine F. Gray , 31, of Whitney Point (Gray is Oralls’ cousin, who was visiting the residence.)

“This is a heartbreaking loss for our community. Our thoughts are with the families affected,” Dryden Fire Chief Pete Tyler said in a Facebook post.

Firefighters responded to the fire at 321 Cortland Road ( Route 13 ) shortly after 10 a.m.

They found the home heavily engulfed in fire and strong winds fueled the fire, firefighters said Thursday.

“Firefighters initiated an aggressive interior attack and search; however, conditions rapidly deteriorated, and all interior crews had to be evacuated,” fire department officials said.

Firefighters battled the fire for several hours before they were able to re-enter the structure, they said.

A fourth resident, David Welch, 54, of Dryden, got out and was brought to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, according to the sheriff’s office. He was in stable condition.

Welch rents the single-family home with his wife, who was not home at the time of the fire, the sheriff said. Oralls and Gray were their nieces.

The fire prompted a massive response involving over 10 fire departments and a variety of state, county, and emergency service agencies, firefighters said.

At 6:45 p.m., firefighters were still spraying water on the house and a thick smell of smoke lingered in the air despite steady rainfall.

The fire closed down Route 13 between Dutcher Road and Gulf Hill Road all day.

The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation by the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

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April 05, 2026 08:57 AM

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