Victim Of The Mountain View Fire In Walker Identified

Walker, CA – The 69-year-old woman that died in the Mountain View Fire that ripped through Walker in Mono County has been identified.

Mono County Sheriff’s Officials report  Sallie Joseph’s remains were found in the debris of her burned-out home in Walker. According to the Gardnerville, Nevada, Record-Courier, Joseph was an Eastern Sierra poet. She contributed to and helped compile “Rain on the Sage: More Poetry from the Hunewill Ranch” published in 2003.

Dubbed the Mountain View Fire, the blaze erupted at midday Tuesday in Walker, along U.S. 395 near the California-Nevada state line. Governor Gavin Newsom issued an emergency declaration on Thursday, as reported here. Fierce winds fueled the flames to spread into a neighborhood, destroying more than 90 structures including some homes. Almost all residents of Walker and nearby Coleville were displaced.

The fire scorched more than 32 square miles before overnight rain and snow doused it out. An investigation as to what ignited the fire is ongoing.