Victim Identified in Fatal Santa Maria House Fire

By the edhat staff

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has released the identity of the victim in the Santa Maria fatal house fire last month.

On October 19, county firefighters responded to the 3500 block of Rosales Court in the Tanglewood neighborhood.

Crews discovered a single story, single-family home emitting black smoke and flames. They engaged in a firefight while conducting a primary search and ventilation operation.

A second alarm was initiated and the fire was successfully knocked down in about an hour. During the interior search operation, crews discovered one deceased individual.

The Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau has now identified the decedent as 65-year-old Sherry Blanchard.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department previously reported the probable cause of the deadly fire was due to “careless use or disposal of smoking materials.”