By Khalida Sarwari
As investigators continue to determine the cause of a fire at a residential care facility for the disabled in Marina on Saturday night, the five people who died will be remembered at a memorial service on Thursday.
A public memorial is planned for 7 p.m. at the Epiphany Lutheran and Episcopal Church, located at 425 Carmel Ave., to honor the patients who died in the fire at the Mount Carmel Adult Residential Facility.
They have been identified as John Hernandez, 21; Rubicella Ramirez, 26; Janette Navarro, 22; Monica Calderon, 24; and Mary Morales, 22.
A sixth patient, a 22-year-old man, is recovering at a hospital, Marina police Lt. Rick Janicki said. He is expected to survive.
The six patients lived at the single-story residence along with a male and female caregiver, both of whom were treated for smoke inhalation at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and released.
Janicki said a witness described both caregivers as frantic and said they repeatedly attempted to rescue the patients, but were warned by bystanders not to re-enter the building or they’d become victims themselves.
Three police officers and one firefighter also suffered smoke inhalation and were treated and released.
A motorist traveling on state Highway 1 reported the blaze after seeing smoke in the area, Janicki said.
Police and firefighters responded to find the front portion of the house fully engulfed and one large section of the roof had collapsed, Janicki said.
He said the house has been boarded up and is uninhabitable.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is helping with the investigation, Janicki said.
