TEMPE, AZ — A fifth person has died after a mobile home fire near Kyrene and Baseline roads in Tempe in late August.
Family confirmed to ABC15 Saturday that 22-year-old Valerie Magana-Gonzalez died Friday night.
Video in the player above contains follow-up coverage from earlier this week.
Magana-Gonzalez had two young daughters who also died in the fire, along with her boyfriend and her boyfriend's mother.
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The fire broke out late in the day on August 25. Two people, later identified as 51-year-old Monica Ruiz and 3-year-old Ariareli Ruiz, were found dead in the mobile home.
Magana-Gonzalez, along with 25-year-old Enrique Ruiz, Jr., and 18-month-old Ellany Ruiz were taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Enrique Ruiz and Ellany Ruiz later died at the hospital, while Magana-Gonzalez fought for her life until Friday night when she succumbed to her injuries.
"You know, after what happened, it was tragic. We were all just heartbroken over what happened," said Jamie Aron, a resident in the mobile home park.
Firefighters are now working to prevent something like this from happening again. On Friday, volunteers with Tempe fire, Tempe police and American Red Cross helped to install 145 smoke alarms in the mobile home park — free of charge to residents.
“It’s really good that they’re doing this for people, especially when it’s really hard. Some people just can’t afford it right now, so it’s a good thing,” said Aron.
Smoke detectors have a life span of about 10 years. While it is unknown if the mobile home that caught fire had one, firefighters say these devices will save lives and hopefully spare the community another tragedy.
Memorial services for the victims will be held next week.
There is a Zelle account set up to help the family under the email address synthia0815@gmail.com.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
