Two children, man and dog found dead in Merced County house fire, authorities say

A man, two children and a dog were found dead Wednesday, inside a home which caught fire in Merced County, according to authorities.

The Merced County Sheriff’s Office said deputies along with Cal Fire personnel, responded to residential fire at a home in the 9000 block of Sands Road in Delhi. Authorities said the two children, man and a dog were found dead inside the home.

Firefighters responded to the structure fire at about 1 a.m. Wednesday, according to Cal Fire Mariposa/Merced/Madera Public Information Officer Jaime Williams. Authorities said the fire occurred in an un-permitted detached structure which appeared to be built with unconventional material and located behind a primary residence on the property.

Merced County Sheriff Sgt. Michael Domingue said that while deputies were responding to the scene, a woman notified dispatch that she believed her family was inside the structure. Domingue said the structure was fully engulfed when deputies arrived on scene and it was not possible for deputies or firefighters to enter the structure.

“The decedents were located after the fire was extinguished and they were able to safely get into that area,” said Domingue.

Fire officials said there were no smoke alarms located within the structure and fire crews deemed the scene controlled by about 8:07 a.m..

The Merced County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Bureau is currently working with Cal Fire investigators to determine the cause of the fire. Anyone with information is asked to call the Merced County Sheriff’s Office at 209-385-7445.

This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 5:29 PM.