Five Family Members Die In Palm Springs Fire

PALM SPRINGS – Autopsies were pending today on three children and two adults who died in a mobile home fire in an unincorporated area northwest of Palm Springs.

The deadly New Year’s Day fire at 150 Oregon Trail in the Western Village Mobile Home Park was reported at 5:16 a.m., authorities said.

The family members — a couple in their 30s, a 6-year-old girl, 7-year- old boy and 11-year-old girl — were tentatively identified, but their names were unavailable early today.

About 25 firefighters had the blaze out in about 15 minutes, but the trailer was destroyed and the family was unable to get out, according to Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department.

Autopsies are expected to be done Monday.

How the fire started was under investigation.

To positively identify the victims, coroner’s investigators may need to compare dental records, and that could take days, sheriff’s Deputy Dennis Gutierrez said.

On Friday, investigators looked for clues as to the cause of the fire, going through the charred remains of the single-wide mobile home in the shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

“The investigators are going through the structure itself right now and talking to neighbors to try determine the cause of the fire,” said Frank Reilly of the county fire department.