The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department and the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit continue to probe into the cause of the fatal house fire from Sunday.

The fire at a home on Fresno Avenue in Denair claimed the lives of Sergio Inostros, 25, Bennet Inostros, 3, and Mason VanWinkle, 8. (Mason’s last name was originally reported as Mulgado).

“Currently, investigators still have not identified the cause of this devastating fire,” said sheriff’s department spokesman Sgt. Luke Schwartz. “The Sheriff’s Office has received several tips indicating it may have been started by illegal fireworks; however, our investigative team does not believe they were a contributing factor. This is based upon preliminary findings thus far and what the evidence evaluated to date shows.”

Detectives have reviewed dispatched calls for the area and two were related to fireworks. One was at 11:11 p.m. Saturday and the other was at 11:42 p.m. Saturday. The fire was reported to the Denair Fire Department at 1:47 a.m. Sunday.

“We ask for continued patience as our case further develops,” Schwartz said. “Determining cause and origin of the fire, as well as awaiting final conclusive test results from the Coroner’s Office, will take additional time spanning weeks if not months.” 

As the investigation proceeds, the community of Denair is continuing to support the family through a variety of outlets.

The Denair Lion’s Club has organized a tri tip dinner for June 23 with proceeds going to help the family. Tickets are $50 and include a tri tip for four people, a quart of beans, a bag salad, rolls and cookies. The dinner will be drive-thru only at the Denair Community Center from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Denair Unified School District Office at 3460 Lester Rd., and Road Dog Cycle, Quik Stop, the Denair Fire Department and the Denair Food Center.

The public can contact case agent Detective Gonzalez by calling 209-595-8686 if they have new witness information to share.