Update: Ceres officials question state standards at mobile park home after deadly fire
Days after a deadly fire at a Ceres mobile home park that lacks electricity, gas and running water, city officials gathered there to decry the living conditions and their lack of authority to do much about the issue.
A fire broke out Monday night at Lazy Wheels Mobile Home Park, leaving a woman dead. The blaze encompassed a shed, a car and piles of trash.
The victim was identified by the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office on Monday as Katrina Scott, 56, a Ceres-area transient. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to the Ceres Police Department.
About two weeks earlier, the California Department of Housing and Community Development inspected the property but did not “red-tag” any homes, meaning marking them unsafe or unlivable.
At a news conference held at the park Wednesday, Ceres officials questioned HCD’s inspection standards and raised concerns about the living conditions there.
Mayor Javier Lopez said problems at the park have persisted for years but the city’s ability to intervene is limited because mobile home parks fall under state jurisdiction.
“Sometimes your hands are tied, but it’s not fair for a person to die,” Lopez said.
He said he has been in contact with the state in hopes the city will be given authority to clean up the site. The state recently turned over the matter to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, Lopez said.
In a statement to The Bee, Kyle Krause, deputy director of codes and standards at HCD, said the agency suspended the park’s permit to operate in January 2024 due to unresolved Health and Safety Code violations. The case was then referred to Stanislaus County for civil nuisance abatement.
Krause confirmed that HCD was on site two weeks ago at the county’s request to discuss ongoing violations, which the city and county must now address through the civil nuisance abatement process.
“Generally, any further action within the Park would be taken by the County and/or City, not HCD. HCD has tried to contact the city regarding the status but has not received a call back,” Krause stated.
Even before Monday’s fire, city officials had been discussing potential cleanups, the displacement of residents and possible actions the city could take. Lopez added that they were seeking further clarification from the housing agency on the extent of their authority.
“I really feel that the state is being very irresponsible. They’re not doing what should be done, and even if it’s their jurisdiction, it is still our backyard,” Lopez said.
City Manager Doug Dunford said Ceres’ role is largely limited to notifying the state about issues at the mobile home park.
He added that residents lost access to running water seven years ago and have since relied on bottled water. Additionally, the Turlock Irrigation District has shut off their electricity for months.
“By walking through here, you cannot tell me that these homes are in perfect condition, or shouldn’t be red-tagged,” Dunford said.
Assemblyman Juan Alanis sent a letter Thursday to the director of HCD requesting a meeting to review the inspection process and discuss steps to improve safety at mobile home parks.
“I share the City of Ceres’ concerns regarding this entire tragedy,” said Alanis in a statement. “Specifically, I want to hear from the Department why, according to media reports and local decision makers, no homes were red-tagged, and what the Department plans to do to address the unsafe conditions at this mobile home park before further harm occurs. The status quo is clearly unacceptable, and the Department needs to be open, honest and transparent about this situation.”
Lt. Jeff Godfrey of the Ceres Police Department said this is the second death at the park CPD has responded to since 2020. While calls for service there are similar to other neighborhoods, he noted that jurisdictional issues make enforcement more difficult.
In other areas, if officers respond to a call and find hazardous living conditions, the city’s code enforcement division can step in to red-tag properties and address the issues. However, at mobile park homes, that authority falls under the state.
Godfrey shared an instance where he received calls for service regarding an elderly woman with mental health issues. Her family member had allowed her to live in hazardous conditions, and she had developed bed sores and had been hospitalized for months. Because of jurisdictional issues, Godfrey couldn’t do anything about it.
“That’s where it really ties our hand and prevents us from really doing quality-of-life stuff, cleaning this thing up and getting services,” Godfrey said.
He emphasized the need for a strong partnership between law enforcement, county services and the state.
While inspecting the burned shed, Ceres Councilmember Rosalinda Vierra expressed surprise that HCD did not tag it during its inspection.
She also brought up how the housing crisis has driven people to purchase metal sheds as places to live, likely because they have no other options.
“I think that’s an interesting aspect to look at, too,” Vierra said.
This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 6:31 PM.
