Woman dies in fire; child critically burned

A 22-year-old farmworker died in a mobile-home fire Friday and her 1-year-old daughter was critically burned.

A 28-year-old sister of the woman who died is also not expected to survive, according to Lt. Tamatha Villar, spokeswoman for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.

Villar said Michelle Mariano died in the fire, which broke out about 8:30 a.m. at Smith Enke and Ralston roads, an unincorporated area near the city of Maricopa, about 25 miles south of Chandler.

Mariano’s 3-year-old nephew pulled her daughter from the flames.

The boy suffered minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital and the toddler he saved is expected to survive, Villar said.

Villar identified the severely burned woman as Marion Mariano.

Villar said the fire doesn’t appear to be suspicious, but an arson team from Phoenix and Pinal County homicide detectives will investigate.