Police say two people were killed in a single-family home fire that occurred around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in Colonie.

Killed in the fire at 39 Tanglewood Road were Carroll Debrocky, 76, and her son, James Debrocky, 56, Colonie police said. Fire crews removed them from the home shortly after arriving, but say they had already succumbed to their injuries. 

Police and fire authorities processed the scene for evidence, and continued to investigate what caused the fire Wednesday afternoon.

The deaths mark the fourth and fifth fire-related fatalities in the village of Colonie in less than 60 days. Three people died in another fire, which occurred about a mile away, on Jan. 27. Investigators say improper disposal of smoking materials caused that fire.

It’s still too early to tell exactly what led to a fire breaking early Wednesday. First responders were met with heavy smoke and flames within five minutes of the first call, according to the fire chief.

Neighbors on Wednesday were reluctant to speak on camera, but said the mother and son were somewhat reclusive, but would say hello in passing. Both are longtime residents, as are many people in the neighborhood.

The two tragedies, coming in such a short span, are weighing on the community and its first responders. The fire chief said stress-debriefing teams were brought in immediately after incidents like these, along with other counselors.

“We got young firemen that are new into this and remember, we’re all volunteers," Town of Colonie Fire Coordinator Michael Romano said. “I’m 41 into this. I’ve got young firemen with one, two, three, four, five years that aren’t used to seeing this. I always tell everybody, 'We’re not a big city, luckily, here in the town of Colonie.' Well here, we’re in the village of Colonie. We don’t get a lot of fatal fires, and that’s good, but these guys have gone through some tough times.”

Mayor James Rubino said he couldn’t be more proud of the fire department. He also stressed a message of safety, including smoke detectors. According to investigators, there were none in the January fire.

He also encouraged people, no matter where they live, to say something if you see something.

“We can’t fix what we don’t know and we will react if there is a problem," Rubino said. "That’s our goal. Our goal is to make sure our residents are safe and they have a good living condition.”

Those with information – eyewitness accounts or video – about Wednesday's fire are asked to call Colonie investigators at (518) 783-2754.