Woman found dead in Dos Palos fire identified by Merced County Coroner

The Merced County Sheriff Coroner’s Office has identified a woman who was found deceased in a fire at an apartment complex in Dos Palos as 68-year-old Catherine Ryan, according to Deputy Alexandra Britton.

Just after 7 a.m. on July 25, firefighters responded to a single story residential structure fire in the 1600 block of Dora Street in Dos Palos, according to Cal Fire Merced County Fire Captain Miguel Sanchez. When firefighters arrived on scene they found one unit fully involved with fire spreading to adjacent units.

According to Sanchez, Ryan was found deceased in the unit where the fire is believed to have started. A total of five fire engines and about 12 fire personnel responded to the scene including one fire engine from the City of Los Banos.

Sanchez said four apartments in total were damaged by the fire and multiple people have been displaced. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This story was originally published August 1, 2023 at 10:20 AM.