by CHRISTOPHER PALMA
The body of a 38-year-old animal lover and 15 dead pets were pulled from her fire-ravaged Prince's Bay apartment yesterday afternoon. The body of Sally Winowiecki was discovered on a living-room sofa inside the upstairs apartment of the two-story house at 382 Bradford Ave. The fire killed 15 of Ms. Winowiecki's dogs, cats and birds, said fire officials. Firefighters at the scene were heard discussing the possibility that Ms. Winowiecki might have been dead for some time before the blaze, given the extent of rigor mortis in her body. However, officials refused to comment, pending further investigation. The first-floor residents, sisters Cheryl and Lori Taback, were not harmed. Ms. Winowiecki's body was removed to a patch of grass on the front lawn and covered in a white sheet. Nearby were the remains of her pets, which had been put into plastic bags. Family and friends of Ms. Winowiecki were seen crying and embracing on the sidewalk in front of the house. The fire does not appear to have been suspicious, and the medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death, said police. The blaze erupted at 2:19 p.m., with firefighters from Engine Co. 164, Huguenot, arriving first to find flames flashing through the living space. The blaze, contained to the second floor, was extinguished by 3:06 p.m., a Fire Department spokesman said. More than 60 firefighters were summoned, according to 23rd Battalion Chief John Labarbera. "All I saw was a lot of smoke pouring out of the windows. They broke out the windows and did the best they could," said Josephine Cantasano, a neighbor who described Ms. Winowiecki as "very quiet but friendly." Fire marshals are investigating. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and were taken to St. Vincent's Hospital, West Brighton, said Acting Deputy Chief Robert Glynn of Division 8.
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