MURRIETA, CA – Two young sisters perished early Saturday morning when a fire engulfed their family’s mobile home in Riverside County, leaving their parents hospitalized and the community rallying to support the devastated family.
The girls, ages 11 and 12, were trapped inside the residence in the 41000 block of Knight Drive when flames tore through the structure around dawn on December 21. Firefighters arriving on scene found the mobile home, a carport, three vehicles, two outbuildings, and a large pine tree fully engulfed.
Despite the rapid response, emergency crews could not save the sisters. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Their mother was rushed to the hospital after losing her eyesight in the blaze. Their father was also hospitalized, though his condition has not been disclosed. The family lost several pets in the fire as well.
A GoFundMe campaign established to help the family rebuild has already raised more than $40,000 as friends and neighbors pour out support for the grieving parents.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Murrieta Fire Department. Investigators have not indicated whether they suspect arson or if the blaze was accidental.
The tragedy has shaken the tight-knit Murrieta community, where the family was known to neighbors and fellow residents. Local officials have expressed condolences while urging patience as investigators work to determine what sparked the deadly inferno.
The identities of the victims have not been officially released pending family notification, though those close to the family have shared details through the fundraising campaign.
