Ceres Police and county fire investigators are looking into a fire that broke out in the Lazy Wheels Mobile Home Park Monday evening and a body found in the charred rubble.

The fire was reported at 11:38 p.m. in the substandard park north of Whitmore Avenue and adjacent to the freeway.

When Modesto Fire Department responded to the blaze they found a shed, car, and trash on fire behind a mobile home. They began dousing water on the flames and quickly prevented the fire spreading to the adjacent mobile home. While overhauling the debris, firefighters located a body in the shed.

Ceres Police Lt. Jeff Godfrey said the victim has not been identified.

In response to the fire, Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra said the city remains concerned about Lazy Wheels being a nonconforming use with hazardous conditions. She said the fire highlights the “persistent issues within the park that require urgent attention.”

“It is concerning that, despite a visit from HCD (the California Department of Housing & Community Development) two weeks ago, there were no citations or red tags issued for any of the homes, although the entire park does not have TID electricity for over a year, which is a serious problem for residents and a concern of mine,” Vierra told the Courier. “All residents are on their own generators for power.”

HCD is the state agency that has stymied the city’s efforts to have the mobile home park abandoned.

Vierra said it is crucial for HCD to “step in and fulfill their responsibilities to ensure the safety and well-being of those living in the park.”