Hundreds mourn 3 girls dead in Christmas fire NEW YORK - Hundreds of people streamed into a historic church in the heart of Manhattan on Thursday for the funeral of three young girls who died along with their grandparents during a Christmas morning fire in Stamford, Conn. The "Service in Thanksgiving for the Lives of Lilian, Sarah and Grace Badger" was held at St. Thomas Church, a historic Episcopal congregation housed in a French High Gothic style stone edifice. The program featured a photo of a laughing 9-year-old Lily and her 7-year-old sisters, Sarah and Grace with tousled hair and flowered dresses. VIDEO: Funeral to be held for Conn. house fire victims Santa concerns led to deadly Conn. fire Family "devastated" after fatal Christmas fire Lilies were part of the three floral arrangements in the nave of the church, still decorated with faux evergreen boughs from Christmas. The readings included well-known Bible passages: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not," and "For every time there is a season." A private service will be held later at Woodlawn Cemetery for the girls and their grandparents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson. Authorities have told The Associated Press that embers in a bag of discarded ashes started the blaze. They had been taken out of a fireplace so the children wouldn't worry about Santa coming down the chimney. Old fireplace embers caused deadly Conn. fire Coroner: Conn. victims died of smoke inhalation The girls' mother, Madonna Badger, and a friend, Michael Borcina, were treated at a hospital. On Wednesday, Badger leaned on the arms of two funeral home workers as she attended a wake for her children and parents. Grandfather Lomer Johnson also suffered a blunt head and neck trauma, which resulted from a fall or being hit by an object. Police said Monday officials want to know whether there were smoke alarms, the status of renovation work on the house and whether the contractor had permits. Repeated attempts to contact him since the fire have been unsuccessful. Stamford authorities deemed the house unsafe following the fire and ordered it torn down the day after.