House Fire Claims Three N.Y. Children

Three children perished in a house fire in the town of Cherry Valley early Thursday, sources said, and the father of two of them was hospitalized in critical condition with burns after trying to rescue them.

State police at Richfield Springs, in conjunction with the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control and the Otsego County Emergency Management Team, are investigating the blaze that occurred at about 3:45 a.m. at 165 Hone Road, according to a media release.

Positive identification of the children are pending autopsies and further investigation, the release said.

Karen Walker, parish life coordinator with St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Cherry Valley, said three children died in the fire.

The parents of two of the children are parishioners Doris and Frank Sabler, Walker said, and the third child was a friend of one of the Sabler children.

"It's a horrible tragedy," Walker said. The church family has provided an outpouring of support that will continue, she said.

The adults escaped and Frank Sabler was burned trying to rescue the children, Walker said.

Sabler was in critical condition in the burn unit at Upstate Medical University Center in Syracuse, a hospital spokeswoman said Thursday night.

Martin Field, chief of the Cherry Valley Volunteer Fire Department, said the two-story wooden house was engulfed in flames and the roof had collapsed by the time firefighters reached the scene,

"There was absolutely zero chance of saving the house," Field said. The chief said he heard en route to the scene that people might be inside, and that was confirmed about a half hour after reaching the house, he said.

Field said he didn't know the identify of the homeowners.

About 50 firefighters were at the scene with five tankers and several other trucks, the chief said.

Firefighters battled the blaze from the exterior of the building, with water shuttled by tankers from hydrants in Sharon Springs, Field said, and the fire was under control in about 90 minutes.

Field said the Cherry Valley and Sharon Springs departments responded with mutual aid provided by Springfield and Middlefield departments, plus crews from the South Minden department in Montgomery County.

The Cherry Valley department was toned out at 3:50 a.m. after someone called Schoharie County 911 from a telephone at the Stewart's Shops in Sharon Springs, Field said. The emergency call was transferred to Otsego County and caused no delay in response, he said.

Cherry Valley crews were back in service at 2:21 p.m., Field said.

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