The tragic death of a 21-year-old sorority member, Kayla Corrigan, has devastated a family and community after she perished in a fire that ravaged her family’s mansion on Christmas Eve. The blaze, attributed to ‘heat spots,’ completely destroyed the residence.

Corrigan was the daughter of a General Electric executive and resided in a $4 million home in Needham, a suburb of Boston. The fire erupted last week, and while two other adults in the house managed to escape without injury, Corrigan sadly did not survive.

As a cherished member of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority, Corrigan was nearing the completion of her degree in marketing management, with plans to graduate this spring. Her sorority sisters expressed their profound loss in a heartfelt Instagram tribute.

“Kayla exuded a beautiful presence and possessed a kind and caring soul,” they shared. “Her kindness, warmth, humor, and selflessness were evident to everyone who knew her.”

The sorority extended their deepest condolences to Corrigan’s family, whose home suffered what police have termed “catastrophic damage.”

According to the state fire marshal, investigators suspect the fire originated in the back of an attached garage. While the precise cause remains under investigation, authorities have discovered several heat sources that may have played a role in the catastrophic event.

A GoFundMe campaign established to cover Corrigan’s funeral expenses and provide temporary housing to her family has already amassed more than $160,000. 

Sigma Delta Tau is also planning to honor Corrigan at their chapter house once students return to Syracuse after winter break.

Kayla Corrigan, 21, (pictured in Spain earlier this year) was killed when her family home in Needham, a suburb of Boston, erupted into flames last week. Two other adults who were inside the residence at the time of the fire managed to escape unharmed

Corrigan (pictured during a beach trip in March 2023) is remembered for her generosity, caring attitude and her devotion to her family. Loved ones said she was a ‘beautiful and beloved sister and daughter’

The fire erupted at the sprawling 2,500 square-foot mansion, which boasts six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, around 5am on December 24. Pictured the Corrigan home in Needham, MA

Firefighters were called to the sprawling 2,500 square-foot mansion, which boasts six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, around 5am on December 24 as heavy smoke and flames engulfed the property.

Crews tried to enter the home, but were pushed back by the raging inferno, with the state fire marshal said ‘quickly spread’ throughout the residence.

Two residents escaped, but Corrigan was later found dead inside the home. 

It is unclear who was in the home at the time, but property records reviewed by the Daily Mail indicate that Corrigan’s mother Christa and 23-year-old sister Alyssa are residents at the property.

Christa, 55, has had a storied career at Boston-based General Electric, which dates back to the mid-1990s, her LinkedIn profile revealed.

She held several positions at GE and has served as the VP Human Resources for its Capital Retail Finance and Restructuring Operations leg for the past 16 years.

Corrigan’s father James worked for GE Healthcare for 11 years. He left the company in 2013 after serving as the President & CEO of Surgery for eight months, according to his LinkedIn.

James, 61, remarried in 2022 and currently lives in a $2.6 million house in Florida.

He works for financial services firm JMC Advisors LLC, where he has served as President and CEO since July this year, his profile stated.

James has worked at multiple companies in the pharma, biotech, and digital health industries. His previously roles included investor, top executive and board member.

Fire crews tried to enter the home, but were pushed back by the raging inferno, with the state fire marshal said ‘quickly spread’ throughout the residence. Two residents escaped, but Corrigan was later found dead inside the home

Corrigan’s mother Christa Baer Corrigan (pictured with Kayla in 2019) is the VP Human Resources at Capital Retail Finance & Restructuring Operations. Property records reviewed by the Daily Mail show that Christa and her two daughters are residents at the Needham home

Fire investigators in Needham have determined that the blaze was accidental and suspect it first ignited in the family’s garage. 

‘We haven’t determined the cause of this fire yet, but we know that tragedies like this one are most common in the winter months,’ State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said in a press release obtained by the Daily Mail. 

In wake of the horrible tragedy, Davine urged other families to ‘please be sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your home and a practiced escape plan in the event of an emergency.’

Corrigan is remembered for her generosity, caring attitude and her devotion to her family.

Amy Lund, who established the crowdfunding page supporting Corrgian’s family, said the house fire tragically took the life of a ‘beautiful and beloved sister and daughter.’

‘Words cannot express the depth of our grief or the shock of this loss,’ Lund wrote. 

‘Kayla was a beautiful 21 year old girl who was deeply loved by many. Her absence has left a space that can never be filled. We will carry her memory with us always.’

‘She touched the lives of so many,’ her sorority echoed, adding that her Sigma Delta Tau sisters are ‘so incredibly grateful for the memories she shared’ with them.

Kayla Corrigan (pictured in Barcelona in May this year) was a driven student and on track to graduate from Syracuse University this spring with a degree in marketing management

A GoFundMe campaign established to cover Corrigan’s funeral expenses and provide temporary housing to her family has already amassed more than $160,000. Sigma Delta Tau is also planning to honor Corrigan (pictured during her trip to Spain) at their chapter house once students return to Syracuse after winter break

Corrigan was a driven student and passionate about her field of study, Syracuse University Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves shared in a letter to the campus community.

She had ‘immersed herself into internships strengthening her understanding of navigating marketing decisions in an evolving global landscape.’

Groves urged her classmates and others impacted by the tragedy to use available counseling and support resources.

The Syracuse University community has already demonstrated a wave of support for the Corrigans. Two fraternities – Delta Kappa Epsilon and Sigma Alpha Epsilon – and the men’s ice hockey team were among the organizations who contributed to the family’s GoFundMe.

Neither Corrigan’s parents nor her sister Alyssa, who graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst this past May, have publicly commented on the tragedy.