Hamptons fire: homeowners avoid jail after negligence settlement

A luxury homeowner in the Hamptons, Peter Miller, faced legal repercussions when shoddy electrical work he carried out on his $1.8 million Sag Harbor home led to a devastating fire that resulted in the deaths of two Maryland sisters, Jillian and Lindsay Wiener. The incident occurred while the sisters were on vacation with their terminally ill father in August 2022.

Peter Miller, 56, pleaded guilty to constructing an illegal outdoor kitchen that overloaded the home's electrical system and failing to install smoke detectors with functioning backup batteries. Prosecutors stated that blocked kitchen vents created a firetrap, preventing the two women from escaping from an upstairs bedroom. Despite the gravity of the situation, Miller struck a plea deal with prosecutors and will not face jail time.

As a result, he will serve three years of probation and perform 200 hours of community service. Miller's wife, Pamela, who managed the summer rental, was sentenced to 100 hours of community service for reckless endangerment. The couple's plea deal spared them from incarceration.

Heartbreaking Impact on the Familie

The tragic fire claimed the lives of Jillian, 21, and Lindsay Wiener, 19. Their father, Lewis, a 59-year-old federal prosecutor battling pancreatic cancer at the time, survived the fire along with their 56-year-old mother, Alisa, and 23-year-old brother, Zachary. The family's heartbreaking loss continues to haunt them, as noted by the surviving family members, leaving them shattered and traumatized by the incident.

The Wiener sisters were at various stages in their educational pursuits, with Jillian set to enter her senior year at the University of Michigan and Lindsay about to begin her sophomore year at Tulane University. The petals of their future were tragically snuffed out, leaving a void that is deeply felt by their loved ones and the community.