Former NYPD police officer Captain Thomas Sullivan, his wife and two teenage daughters have died in their Carmel home, in Putnam County, New York.

Larchmont police Capt. Thomas Sullivan (48) Donna Sullivan (47) and teenage daughters Mairead (15) and Meaghan (17) lost their lives after flames erupted from their family homes at 2am on Tuesday morning.

The sole survivor of the deadly fire was their 20-year-old son Thomas Sullivan Jr who managed to escape. He is being treated for smoke inhalation at Danbury Hospital. He’s now with his grandparents in Dutchess County.

Larchmont police Sgt. Ronald Knudson told the Journal News said Sullivan and his wife and daughters were trapped in the house when they arrived at the scene.

He said “His son was the only one who made it out, in a family of five. His wife and two daughters perished with Tommy.”

Knudson continued “He [Capt. Sullivan] was a dedicated law enforcement individual, an extremely great family man. His life revolved around his family and his job."

His daughters were students at Carmel High School. The school’s superintendent said “We are working together in this very difficult time to offer supports to students and staff."

The flames of the raging fire were so intense the siding of the two houses on either side melted. Firefighters struggled to gain access to the home.

Carmel fire chief Bob Lipton said “Upon arrival, it became quite apparent there was going to be no attempt at an interior attack. It was fully engulfed, fully engulfed. The house was just ablaze.”

Seventy firefighters, from several towns, worked for over three hours to tame the flames.
A neighbor, Lorraine Girolama said “There's nothing standing but two garage doors.”

The cause of the fire remains unknown. The police said they expect “a lengthy investigation and recovery effort in order to ascertain the origin of the fire and the recovery of potential victims."
Here’s the Journal News’ raw footage of the fire: