Schenectady

Investigators found the remains of several people in the charred ruins of two Jay Street apartment buildings, a realization of the worst fears of family members of residents still missing after Friday's ferocious fire.

The team of city, state and federal fire investigators had initially spotted one corpse Monday on either the third- or fourth-floor stairwell of 104 Jay St. but delayed removal to ensure they could get to the remains safely, according to several people familiar with the probe.

Investigators on Tuesday discovered more bodies — possibly as many as three, a person briefed on the probe said, but city police would not confirm that number. Word of the grisly findings spread quickly after family members were notified by police. All the remains were removed from the apartment buildings Tuesday afternoon and turned over to the medical examiner for positive identification, police said.

It's unclear how long that process will take, but several family members were among the onlookers milling around in an area behind both 104 and 100-102 Jay St. The search and recovery effort led by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has so far focused on 104 Jay St. The grim task will resume Wednesday morning.

The fast-moving blaze erupted at 2 a.m. Friday at 104 Jay St. and quickly spread next door to 100-102 Jay St., leaving dozens of tenants homeless. The fire burned for hours, but the building was not stabilized until Monday when investigators deemed it safe to enter.

On Tuesday, cadaver dogs and their handlers, along with other fire investigators, were hoisted in a metal cage and then lowered into the burned-out structure at 104 Jay St.

As part of the probe, police and fire investigators are jointly exploring several theories about how the blaze began, including that a resident on the fourth floor may have dozed off while smoking, according to people familiar with the probe who are not authorized to speak publicly because the probe is still ongoing.

As the investigation progresses, the owner of Pizza King, a popular eatery near the fire scene, wanted customers to know that he is open for business.

Farid "Fred" Musleh said business is down because of the difficulty of finding parking around the fire scene, where many streets are shut down and the assumption by patrons that establishment is closed.

"I hope that soon everything gets done and back to normal," Musleh said.

pnelson@timesunion.com • 518-454-5347 • @apaulnelson