Fresno authorities identify bodies found in underground vault after fire
The two bodies that firefighters found after a fire broke out in a downtown Fresno utility vault have been identified.
Tony Botti, spokesperson for the Fresno County Coroner’s Office, said the victims were Johnny Torres, 57, and Antonio Corona, 50, of Fresno. Investigators suspect that unhoused individuals have used the vault for shelter.
Firefighters responded to a report of smoke coming from beneath the bridge at Fresno and H streets around 8 a.m. on Monday, which is the site of an underground utility vault.
Fresno Fire Department Fire Chief Billy Alcorn said the vault contained live electrical equipment serving the downtown area. Firefighters had to coordinate with PG&E and construction crews to shut off power to the vault before combating the fire, Alcorn said.
Firefighters found the bodies of Torres and Corona as they extinguished the fire. Construction crews also reported seeing three people leaving the area of the fire before firefighters arrived.
“It appears that people were trying to live inside of that vault,” Alcorn said. “There was debris, blankets, property, almost livable conditions.”
Investigators believe the people may have accessed the vault by digging through dirt along the bridge embankment.
This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Fresno authorities identify bodies found in underground vault after fire."
