Community Rallies For Cancer-Stricken Vet, Wife, Granddaughter After House Fire

PALM SPRINGS, CA – A fundraising effort is underway to assist a cancer-stricken Vietnam veteran, his wife and their teenage granddaughter, who were displaced by a fire that gutted their Palm Springs home and killed their two dogs.

The fire broke out around 1 p.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of Palm Avenue, rendering the home a total loss, with several vehicles on the property also destroyed. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

No injuries were reported among the home's displaced residents, but the dogs were unaccounted for following the blaze. Fire crews later found one dead and attempted to revive the other, but were unsuccessful.

The fire also scorched foliage, with nearby palm trees aflame as crews arrived. Flames also spread to a nearby power pole, leading authorities to briefly shut down power to the area, as well as block off several surrounding roadways.

A GoFundMe page created to assist the family in recovering from the blaze that destroyed their home of 30 years can be viewed at https://www.gofundme.com/veter... .

According to the page, Vietnam veteran Mike Salazar is suffering from cancer and was set to begin hospice care on the day his home burned down.

"With this new turn of events, we have no idea where to begin picking up the pieces," the page reads. The family is staying somewhere in Cathedral City in the interim. As of Thursday evening, the family had reached $5,885 of its $30,000 goal.

Donations can also be made in person to Desert Chapel, 630 S. Sunrise Way.

• PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Palm Springs House Fire Leads to Road Closures

• ALSO SEE: Fire Scorches 100 Acres South of Beaumont

--City News Service contributed to this report/Images via GoFundMe and Palm Springs PD