The Connecticut fire that destroyed the home of advertising executive Madonna Badger and took the lives of her three young daughters Lily, Grace and Sarah and her parents Lomer and Pauline is easily one of the most tragic accidents in recent memory.

The girls and their grandparents died after a fire devoured the Stamford, Conn. home they stayed at early Christmas morning. The fire may have been caused by fireplace embers, according to authorities.

Badger and her boyfriend Michael Borcina, who were also at the house, managed to escape the fire with their lives. Lomer Johnson, the grandfather of the deceased girls, may have died trying to save one of the girls, Stamford Fire Chief Antonio Conte told ABC News.

Stamford Assistant Fire Chief Peter Brown said the one thing [the firefighters] can't get out of their minds is [Badger's] screaming, reported the New York Daily News.

That voice will stay with them for as long as they live, said Brown.

Badger reportedly screamed my babies, my babies as the firefighters arrived at the burning house. The New York Daily News reported that the eventual call to abandon rescue efforts, with the knowledge that there were still three children inside, was excruciating for the firefighters.

The funeral for the three girls is expected to be held next week and handled by the Frank E. Campbell funeral chapel, according to family members, reported the New York Times.

Lomer and Pauline Johnson will be buried in Canada, where the couple first met. A memorial service for them will also be held in Louisville, Ky.

Canada The New York Times