The woman killed in a Goleta Valley house fire earlier this week was identified by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau as 89-year-old Carolee Martin.
Martin’s family members are now looking for a new place to live that will accommodate them and Martin’s four pets, according to a GoFundMe posted by Martin’s great-grandson, Iceon Anderson.
Fire crews responded to the 5000 block of Amberly Place at around 2:14 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a fire inside a front bedroom in a one-story home.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department said one person and two pets died in the fire. Department spokesperson Karen Cruz-Orduña said on Thursday the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
Credit: GoFundMe photo
Anderson said on the GoFundMe page that the house exploded, and that Martin and one pet, the family’s dog, Rex, had died.
Martin’s daughter and Anderson’s grandmother, who was not identified, was Martin’s primary caretaker, Anderson said.
“This loss has left her heartbroken,” Anderson said.
The family’s current housing accommodations only allow one animal, so they are looking for another place to live that can fit five people and Martin’s pets.
“The shock and grief have been overwhelming, and now we’re facing the challenge of finding a new place to live…” Anderson wrote. “Our current housing doesn’t allow more than one animal, but my great-grandma’s home was filled with love — three cats and two dogs (now just one)
We need a home that can support all of us, including our pets, and provide a safe space.”
The GoFundMe has brought in just under $1,400 as of Friday morning. The listed goal is $3,500.
Executive Editor Giana Magnoli contributed to this report.
