| Columbia County Sheriff's Office |
David W. Harrison, Jr., SHERIFF James R. Sweet, UNDERSHERIFF
| Copyright ©2006 Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Hudson, NY 12534 |
FATAL FIRE IN STUYVESANT
January 20, 2008
Stuyvesant, NY Columbia County Sheriff David W. Harrison, Jr. reports that his office and the Stuyvesant
Fire Company are investigating a fatal fire in the Town of Stuyvesant, New York. County 911 dispatched the
Stuyvesant Fire Company at 4:19pm for a report of a structure fire on Scism Road off Sharptown Road. Upon
arrival of firefighters, they quickly extinguished a fire in a one family home at 28 Scism Road. Firefighters
discovered two victims near the interior rear door of the home who were identified as 42 year old Malea Gravlin
and 11 year old Loukas Gravlin. County Coroner George Davis, MD pronounced them dead at the scene.
Fire fighters from the Stuyvesant Falls and Stockport Fire Companies and members of the Valatie Rescue Squad
were also on the scene. Members of the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control were called by the
Sheriff's Office and are assisting at the scene.
The victims were removed by the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home of Valatie. Autopsies are scheduled tomorrow
morning at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany by Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard to determine the cause of death.
Sheriff's Office personnel will remain on the scene throughout the night and the investigation will continue
tomorrow with Sheriff's Office Evidence Technicians, Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigators, NYS Office of Fire
Prevention and Control, Columbia County Cause and Origin Team, the Columbia County Fire Coordinator and
Stuyvesant Fire Company personnel.
In addition to members of the Uniformed Patrol and Criminal Investigation Branches of the Sheriff's Office Law
Enforcement Division, Undersheriff James Sweet, Captain David Bartlett, Lieutenant James Andrews and Sr.
Investigator Kevin Skype were also on the scene.
STUYVESANT FATAL FIRE INVESTIGATION
January 21, 2008
Sheriff David Harrison, Jr. reports that Sheriff’s Investigators working with Fire Chief Monthie, members of the
County Cause and Origin Team and investigators from the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control have
determined that the fire on Scism Road in the Town of Stuyvesant started as early as 6:00am on Sunday morning,
smoldered and nearly burning itself out due to a heavy smoke condition and lack of ventilation, for several hours
until it was discovered by the nearby farm owner at 4:19pm.
He said that investigators found no evidence that the fire was suspicious in nature and that the fire appears to
have started in the living room area where a Christmas tree with lights on it was still standing from this past holiday
season. He said that due to the damage in the location where the fire started, investigators can not determine
exactly how the fire started, however it started in the area of the tree and the tree and surrounding area had
extensive fire damage. He said investigators can not rule out an electrical short of the Christmas tree lights as the
cause. He adds that Ms Gravlin did smoke cigarettes and it was also thought that her eleven year old son was
near the living room area Sunday morning as well, so human accidental causes can not be ruled out either.
Sheriff Harrison said that both Ms Gravlin and her son were found on the floor near the back door of the house.
He said that the house had no smoke detectors and that it appears that both were attempting to reach the back
door when they were overcome by smoke.
An autopsy attended by Coroner George Davis MD and Sheriff’s Investigator John Rivero, and performed by Dr.
Jeffrey Hubbard at St. Peters hospital in Albany today found the cause of death for both mother and son to be
Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Inhalation.
Sheriff Harrison said, ”I join Chief Monthie and Fire Coordinator VanDuesen in stressing the importance of having
working smoke detectors in your home. We feel strongly that a smoke detector warning would have given the
Gravlins the time they needed to get out of the house.” The Sheriff reminds any resident who does not have a
smoke detector to contact their fire company. He said that the county have a program through the fire companies
to provide smoke detectors to residents who need them.
January 20, 2008
Stuyvesant, NY Columbia County Sheriff David W. Harrison, Jr. reports that his office and the Stuyvesant
Fire Company are investigating a fatal fire in the Town of Stuyvesant, New York. County 911 dispatched the
Stuyvesant Fire Company at 4:19pm for a report of a structure fire on Scism Road off Sharptown Road. Upon
arrival of firefighters, they quickly extinguished a fire in a one family home at 28 Scism Road. Firefighters
discovered two victims near the interior rear door of the home who were identified as 42 year old Malea Gravlin
and 11 year old Loukas Gravlin. County Coroner George Davis, MD pronounced them dead at the scene.
Fire fighters from the Stuyvesant Falls and Stockport Fire Companies and members of the Valatie Rescue Squad
were also on the scene. Members of the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control were called by the
Sheriff's Office and are assisting at the scene.
The victims were removed by the Raymond E. Bond Funeral Home of Valatie. Autopsies are scheduled tomorrow
morning at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany by Dr. Jeffrey Hubbard to determine the cause of death.
Sheriff's Office personnel will remain on the scene throughout the night and the investigation will continue
tomorrow with Sheriff's Office Evidence Technicians, Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigators, NYS Office of Fire
Prevention and Control, Columbia County Cause and Origin Team, the Columbia County Fire Coordinator and
Stuyvesant Fire Company personnel.
In addition to members of the Uniformed Patrol and Criminal Investigation Branches of the Sheriff's Office Law
Enforcement Division, Undersheriff James Sweet, Captain David Bartlett, Lieutenant James Andrews and Sr.
Investigator Kevin Skype were also on the scene.
STUYVESANT FATAL FIRE INVESTIGATION
January 21, 2008
Sheriff David Harrison, Jr. reports that Sheriff’s Investigators working with Fire Chief Monthie, members of the
County Cause and Origin Team and investigators from the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control have
determined that the fire on Scism Road in the Town of Stuyvesant started as early as 6:00am on Sunday morning,
smoldered and nearly burning itself out due to a heavy smoke condition and lack of ventilation, for several hours
until it was discovered by the nearby farm owner at 4:19pm.
He said that investigators found no evidence that the fire was suspicious in nature and that the fire appears to
have started in the living room area where a Christmas tree with lights on it was still standing from this past holiday
season. He said that due to the damage in the location where the fire started, investigators can not determine
exactly how the fire started, however it started in the area of the tree and the tree and surrounding area had
extensive fire damage. He said investigators can not rule out an electrical short of the Christmas tree lights as the
cause. He adds that Ms Gravlin did smoke cigarettes and it was also thought that her eleven year old son was
near the living room area Sunday morning as well, so human accidental causes can not be ruled out either.
Sheriff Harrison said that both Ms Gravlin and her son were found on the floor near the back door of the house.
He said that the house had no smoke detectors and that it appears that both were attempting to reach the back
door when they were overcome by smoke.
An autopsy attended by Coroner George Davis MD and Sheriff’s Investigator John Rivero, and performed by Dr.
Jeffrey Hubbard at St. Peters hospital in Albany today found the cause of death for both mother and son to be
Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Inhalation.
Sheriff Harrison said, ”I join Chief Monthie and Fire Coordinator VanDuesen in stressing the importance of having
working smoke detectors in your home. We feel strongly that a smoke detector warning would have given the
Gravlins the time they needed to get out of the house.” The Sheriff reminds any resident who does not have a
smoke detector to contact their fire company. He said that the county have a program through the fire companies
to provide smoke detectors to residents who need them.