Two-story duplex fire in Modesto leaves child dead, mom and sibling gravely hurt
A young girl died as the result of a duplex fire on Leon Avenue in west Modesto early Sunday morning, according to the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office. The girl’s sister and mother are gravely injured, according to a GoFundMe page sent to The Modesto Bee by a representative of the company.
The fundraiser, created by a user named Amador Carrillo, states that a 7-year-old girl died on the way to the hospital and that her 9-year-old sister is on life support but has “no chance of recovery due to severe brain injury and lung damage.” The mother “suffered brain death” as a result of the fire, according to the fundraiser’s description.
As of Monday evening, The Bee was not able to independently verify the identities of those involved or the extent of their injuries. The Coroner’s Office confirmed a girl died as a result of the fire, but it provided no identifying information.
Firefighters received a call of a residential fire and were dispatched shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday. While on their way, callers to 911 reported “multiple people” were trapped inside an engulfed two-story duplex, according to a press release from the Modesto Fire Department.
Crews were met with “a large amount of smoke and fire coming from the attached garage” and “smoke coming from the living area of the residence.” They encountered dense smoke with low visibility but found an adult and two children. All three were removed from the residence and placed in ambulances bound for local hospitals, according to MFD.
Nine people were in the duplex when the fire broke out. Six were able to escape before firefighters got there, according to MFD. The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.
“This unimaginable loss has left the family in deep grief and facing urgent financial needs,” reads the GoFundMe page, which states that all donations will go toward funeral costs, medical bills and other urgent needs.
This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 5:59 PM.
