Woman dies after fire in Coulterville, over a dozen residents homeless

COULTERVILLE, Calif. (KFSN) – Coulterville residents are in shock after a fire broke out in their mobile home park, killing a woman.

“Devastating, not very good,” said Lulu Brown.

She shared her pain after a fire devastated her small housing development.

“I went to the side of my trailer park, onto the driveway, knocked on everybody’s door, saved three lives, they got out. It’s really sad, but I got them out,” Brown said.

All that remains of the rapid spread of the fire early Sunday morning are remnants of books, cars and household appliances.

A video by ABC30 insider Jim Patton shows flames and smoke shooting into the sky, setting everything on the ground on fire.

A woman died in the fire. Family members have identified her as Cynthia Morgan.

“I’ve known her for a long time, ever since I lived up here. She’s a friend of my mother’s, by the way, so yeah, I was tough,” said neighbor Mike Smith.

These photos shared with Action News show Morgan with her family. Neighbors say she was a kind, sweet woman.

“When we lose one member up here, it affects all of us,” said Shannon Poe, Mariposa County District Administrator.

He adds that the people who live in this RV community are predominantly retirees on fixed incomes. And insurance costs have become overwhelmingly high, making this loss even worse.

“If there’s someone out there who has a trailer they want to donate, or six, or it’s multiple people, guess what: you’re going to give someone a new home,” Poe said.

While the investigation into the cause of the fire is still ongoing, the public is already coming together to help the fire victims meet their immediate needs.

The Red Cross is providing hotel accommodations and food vouchers, while several county agencies and organizations are collecting donations and providing funds for reconstruction.

Poe says Premiere Valley Bank has a donation account called the Tuolumne-Mariposa County Tragedy Fund.

Mariposa Safe Families, Inc. is working to provide clothing and other necessities to those affected by the fire.

You can donate at 5010 Fairgrounds Road, Mariposa, CA, 95338.

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