Victims of massive OBX house fire identified; family asks for cards of support for survivors

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — Officials have identified the group of six people from Maryland who were renting a beach house destroyed by fire in Kill Devil Hills last week.

In a press release Monday morning, Town officials identified those lost in the fire on North Virginia Dare Trail: married couple Colleen Cohan, 64, and William Deeg, 68 of Ashton, Maryland, and 13-year-old Sienna Farr of Silver Spring, Maryland.

Sienna was the daughter of Laura Volk, 48, who is being treated in the Burn Unit at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital alongside her boyfriend, David Brewer, 55. Both are in stable condition, according to the release.

Volk's other daughter, 16-year-old Sadie Farr, was treated at the Outer Banks Hospital and has been released.

"Many hearts across the Outer Banks and Maryland communities are left to heal following this tragic incident," Town spokeswoman Rachel Tackett said in the release.

The fire happened around 2 a.m. Friday at a historic four-bedroom beach house. Birdsong/Phelan Cottage, located at 1825 North Virginia Dare Trail, was designated as a local historic landmark in November 2011, according to the Town of Kill Devil Hills "Guide to Local Historic Landmarks."

The homes immediately to the south and north of Birdson/Phelan Cottage were also damaged by the fire, but no one in either of those residences was hurt.

At a press conference Friday morning, Tackett told members of the media that she couldn't confirm if the home had smoke detectors but said, "There should have been."

The cause of the fire remains undetermined, Tackett said. The fire is being investigated by the Kill Devil Hills Fire Marshal, Dare County Fire Marshal, and the State Bureau of Investigations.

People can send cards to Laura and her husband. Mail them to:

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Burn Center 

600 Gresham Drive, Norfolk, VA 23507