Mother and son killed in house fire over the weekend in Banning
Jesus Reyes
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article had the two people killed were siblings. This was not correct. The people were a mother and her son. The article has been updated with the correct information
BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) – A mother and son were killed in a house fire that also left two people injured, authorities said today.
Chris and Dora Palacios, who were reportedly mother and son, were fatally injured in the blaze shortly before 5 a.m. Saturday on John Street, near Hargrave Street, just south of Interstate 10.
According to the Riverside County Fire Department, six engine crews were sent to the blaze at 4:50 a.m. and encountered smoke and flames emanating from the single-story house.
Firefighters deployed to prevent the blaze from spreading to surrounding properties and encountered two people who had evacuated from the residence, suffering unspecified non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
“There was a double fatality. The victims were discovered by fire personnel,” county fire department spokeswoman Maggie Cline de La Rosa told City News Service.
She said the blaze was completely knocked down at 5:20 a.m.
The two occupants who had evacuated from the property, neither of whom was identified, utilized their own transportation to go to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to the fire department.
Cal Fire investigators were summoned to identify the exact source of the blaze, which had not been confirmed as of Monday. There was no word regarding why Chris and Dora Palacios were unable to escape the flames.
“I’m reaching out to everyone to help us in this difficult time,” the victims’ relative, Daniel Palacios, wrote in a GoFundMe account started to raise money for the victims’ funeral. “This is a tough time for us all. Anything helps — prayers, donations.”
The account can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/fund-for-dora-and-chriss-final-farewell?cdn cache=0.
It had raised roughly $8,500 as of Monday afternoon.
A public candlelight vigil was planned for Chris and Dora Palacios at 6:30 p.m. Monday at 638 E. John St., Banning.
Funeral arrangements were pending.