A fire yesterday afternoon in a Vail Mills motel room resulted in the death of a 49-year-old Amsterdam woman and the hospitalization, with severe burns, of a 41-year-old Schenectady man.

Lillian M. Hayes was pronounced dead at Amsterdam Memorial Hospital shortly after being pulled from the room in which they were staying at the Hillside Motel, Route 30, Amsterdam.

The fire was discovered about 3:10 yesterday afternoon.

Remaining in critical condition this morning at Memorial Hospital was William T. MacDonald who, according to State Police at the Fonda substation, was taken to the hospital with severe burns to 40 percent of this body.

Death of Mrs. Hayes was caused by asphyxiation and burns, according to Dr. William Hesek of Johnstown, a Fulton County coroner. The coroner's verdict will not be issued until investigation is completed.

The cause of the fire was not known this morning.

Ralph Osterhout, chief of the Broadalbin Kennyetto volunteer fire department, who was first on the scene, reported this morning that when he arrived there were about 15 to 20 people screaming that someone was still in the room. The woman had reached the doorway where she had slumped with her head and arms in the doorway. Osterhout pulled the woman away from the door and she and MacDonald were taken to the hospital by Brown's Ambulance of Broadalbin.

MacDonald, Osterhout reported, had gotten out of the room under his own power and was laying on the grass when Osterhout arrived.

Estimate of the damage was not known this morning, according to Anthony Gioia, who with his wife, owns the motel. The motel is insured, he said.

Gioia indicated that one unit, Room 6, was completely ruined, and that a few rooms needed some work, roofing needs to be done.

Osterhout also reported that while en route to the fire scene, he saw the smoke and flames, and asked for mutual aid with the Perth volunteer fire department responding. On arrival, the chief said he found flames pouring through the front door.

Room 6, the room the man and woman were apparently in, was severely damaged by fire, Osterhout said. Gioia, this morning, said that the couple had registered at the motel on Monday.

The blaze caused severe damage to the furnishings, burned through the walls and burned through the ceiling, the chief said.

The fire crept overhead and into the units on either side of Room 6; the ceiling areas of the two rooms were damaged by the blaze and smoke filtered into other units, the chief said.

An estimated 30 volunteer firemen were at the scene fighting the blaze from the front and through the roof. The fire was reported darkened down in about 15 minutes and was completely extinguished in about an hour, although Osterhout indicated he was not sure of the time as he was occupied with the blaze.

The fire was doused with three booster lines and a 1 1/2-inch hose.

The Perth department left the fire scene at about 4:20 yesterday afternoon and the Broadalbin department at about 5. Osterhout returned to the motel at about 7 last night to make sure there were no smouldering embers. At that time he noted that everything appeared to be under control and that there were people staying at the other units.

Members of the Broadalbin department, he said, will be coming back to the motel today to use a smoke deodorizer in the other rooms.

Investigation of the fire was conducted by BCI Investigator A. U. Van Patten of the Fonda substation and Fulton County Sheriff John Brown and members of his staff.

Also at the scene were Richard Stock, county Civil Defense director; William Wood, county fire coordinator; and George Van Heusen, deputy fire coordinator.

Mrs. Hayes was born in Nova Scotia on May 23, 1923, the daughter of Albert and Daisy McLain. She was of the Protestant faith, and was married to James C. Hayes, who died about six years ago.

She had been an Amsterdam resident for the past two years; prior to that, Mrs. Hayes lived on the Gloversville-Vail Mills Road, Gloversville RD.

Survivors include her mother, of Somerville, Mass.; one son, James Hayes and one daughter, Miss Jacqueline Hayes, both of Amsterdam.