Melissa Taylor

SENIOR FIRE SURVIVOR GETS NEW MOBILEHOME, BUT STILL NEEDS FURNISHINGS, AC, AND APPLIANCES

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: left: Melissa Taylor, in front of burned-out shell of her former mobilehome, right: new mobilehome

July 10, 2024 (El Cajon) – Last August, 65-year-old Melissa Taylor lost everything when a fire destroyed her mobile home in El Cajon, as ECM reported. Now, thanks to the generosity of donors who responded to her GoFundMe plea and a modest insurance settlement, she now has a new mobile home on the same site where she’s lived for 19 years. But she needs more help before she can move in.

“She has no air conditioning, or furnishings. She needs a washer and dryer," asl well as some other appliances to "make it livable,” says Kari Dodson, a long-time friend of Taylor’s. “She hasn’t been able to move in yet, so we are still keeping the donations link active.” You can donate here.

Kari Dodson, a friend of Taylor’s, told ECM our prior coverage helped bring in donations that enabled Taylor to replace her burned home,  “Thank you for your support and concern,” Dodson told ECM. “Your reporting does help the community immeasurably!”


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GOFUNDME FOR EL CAJON WOMAN, 65, WHO LOST HOME IN FIRE

By Cecilie Shamanow

El Cajon – Imagine going to sleep at night in your home, content, safe and secure, only to wake up to it going up in flames. Melissa Taylor didn’t have to imagine such a tragedy because it was her reality.  The 65-year-old El Cajon resident woke up the night of August 7th to a fire rapidly spreading through her home.

Taylor, who normally falls asleep to the sound of her television, was awoken at 5:30  pm. by the sudden silence caused by the power going out in her trailer. She could hear the sound of her neighbors outside yelling for her to get out.

She narrowly escaped; the trailer was burned beyond repair in a matter of moments. Taylor could do nothing but watch as it burned, and listen to the sounds of her four cats crying inside, unable to escape.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.