Here are the names from the family of five who died in a Merced County house fire
The Merced County Coroner’s Office released the names Thursday of the family of five who were killed in a devastating house fire outside Dos Palos.
Dos Palos Y residents Ruben Andrade, 40, and Juana Yanez, 35, died, along with their three children, 1-year-old Hector Andrade, 4-year-old Judith Andrade and 11-year-old Christopher Andrade, investigators said.
Ten people were in the rural home on Julip Avenue north of Mint Road when the fire was reported just before 5 a.m., according to Cal Fire Division Chief Mark Pimentel.
Two of the surviving residents were taken to area hospitals and three others refused medical assistance. It was not immediately clear how the survivors were related to the family that perished.
Horacio Cisneros of Dos Palos stood Thursday outside the house, where he said he stopped to pay his respects to the family after hearing about the fire from a friend.
“I’m in disbelief; I can’t process that this happened,” he said. They’re a good family. They didn’t deserve this, you know,” Cisneros said. “They’re going to need a lot of help from the community to get through this.”
Fire officials said a house fire killing so many people is rare.
A candlelight vigil to honor the Andrades is planned at 5 p.m. Thursday outside the home where they died, 17576 Julip Ave. in Dos Palos, according to the Sacred Heart Church’s Facebook page.
