Family narrowly escapes Fresno mobile home fire. ‘Woke up engulfed in flames’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A fire destroyed a Fresno family's mobile home on July 7, displacing five people.
- Investigators ruled the fire accidental; origin traced to nearby pile of belongings.
- Family seeks long-term housing while fundraising to replace essential possessions.
A family in Fresno lost their home in a fire on the morning of July 7 and is now displaced, with members having to live in separate locations.
Victor Solorzano lived in the mobile home near Maple and Olive avenues with his wife, two kids and father-in-law, who owned the trailer. He said the family woke up to the fire about 7:40 a.m. Monday.
“My wife woke up engulfed in flames. She got our baby, I got my six-year-old and we just ran out,” Solorzano said.
The home’s roof is mostly gone, and one of the exterior walls has collapsed. The trailer’s restroom, kitchen area, and main room were all destroyed. From the street, everything from the shower to the kitchen is now visible.
“The night before we were watching a movie and for this happen hours later is so surreal and heartbreaking,” Solorzano said.
Solorzano believes homeless people started the fire near his trailer.
“There’s always squatters that happen to be around here,” he said “The property manager always runs them away, but they always manage to find their way back.”
Josh Sellers, the public information officer for the Fresno Fire Department, said when crews arrived they saw smoke and flames coming from Solorzano’s mobile home and were able to extinguish the fire.
“The cause of the fire, fire investigators determined there was a pile of belongings adjacent to the property and then spread to the mobile home,” he said. “Investigators looked and are unable to determine what caused that pile of belongings to catch fire, so they ruled it an accidental fire. There were some homeless people that were living next to their mobile home and it’s believed to be their belongings that caught fire. But there’s no way to say what caused the fire and who caused it.”
Sellers noted that while mobile home fires aren’t uncommon in the city, the majority of fires the department responds to involve residential structures. On Fourth of July evening, the department responded to 122 fires.
Solorzano told The Bee he’d been living with his wife at the trailer since January 2022 and his father-in-law had lived there for the past seven years. He said his father-in-law has invested about $50,000 in the property.
“We have so many memories. We were able to do carne asadas and do things outside with the family. We were living comfortably. We never worried about things happening like this. It’s just unreal,” he said.
Solorzano added that he’s especially worried about his son, who has autism.
“My son who’s autistic isn’t used to change. For him, seeing that he no longer has a home is tough. We have to relax him and help him understand that we don’t have a place right now,” he said.
The family started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help replace some of the belongings they lost. They lost appliances like their washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove and air fryer. So far, they’ve raised more than $400 so far.
“I’m thankful for everyone who’s been donating. A little bit goes a long way. It helps us get some clothes and rebuild our lives together,” Solorzano said.
However, the family also lost personal belongings that are irreplaceable.
“We lost photos, birth certificates, marriage license and about $1,000,” Solorzano said. “My wife’s uncle passed away recently and she also lost some things she had of his the day of the funeral.”
Solorzano said his father-in-law is planning to stay with friends in the meantime, but he and his wife and children are planning to go to a shelter in Fresno.
“We need a place long term for our kids though. We need to get our six-year-old used to a place he can call home again,” he said.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 12:38 PM.
