Update: Man, two boys killed in early morning house fire in Denair
A man and two boys were found dead inside a home that was destroyed by fire early Sunday, authorities said.
Crews responded at about 1:47 a.m. to the report of a residential structure fire on the 3500 block of Fresno Avenue, the Denair Fire Department posted on its Facebook page.
They found the home burning heavily and were told multiple people may be inside. Resources from throughout the county responded to assist, the post said.
Crews entered the home to attempt a rescue but were forced to pull out because of heavy fire and the collapsing roof, the post said. After the fire was extinguished, investigators confirmed three victims inside.
A news release issued later Sunday morning from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department said authorities “believe those who died were two young juveniles and one adult male, all of whom lived inside the home.”
The Sheriff’s Department said the man was 25 years old and the boys were 8 and 3.
Relatives at the scene identified the man and boys; The Bee is not using their names pending notification of more family members.
Maria Uballe said her niece, who lived at the home with her fiance and two sons, was working at a convenience store a block away when she heard there was a fire on her street. She went running down Fresno Avenue and could see it was her home, said Uballe, who was at the scene hours later with other family members. The woman is now with her father, Uballe’s brother.
The mother of the man who died in the fire also was on scene and being consoled.
The origin and cause of the fire are under investigation by the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, but the news release stated that authorities do not suspect arson or a criminal act.
“It seems to be a tragic and unfortunate accident,” the news release stated.
This story was originally published May 30, 2021 at 8:28 AM.
