On Tuesday April 14, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to a house fire on the 5000 block of Amberly Place in Goleta Valley, which claimed the life of Carolee Martin, 89, a dog, and a cat.
According to a GoFundMe posted by the great-grandson of the deceased, Iceon Anderson, the house “exploded” on Tuesday afternoon, leaving five family members and their pets displaced.
“We’re struggling to find a place that can accommodate our family and give us the stability we need to start healing,” said Anderson in a GoFundMe post.
Firefighters were alerted to the fire just after 2 p.m. and notified that someone may be in the house during the blaze. Two ground ambulances accompanied the dispatched truck, three fire engines, and battalion chief.
According to Captain Michael Gray, it took about 10 minutes to extinguish the flames and that the fire was contained to just the house. He said that firefighters “were on scene really fast and went to work right away.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Those who wish to donate to help the family can do so through the family’s GoFundMe page.
