Woman killed in Fremont apartment fire is identified

A woman who died from injuries suffered in a fire at her Fremont apartment Wednesday has been identified.

admin August 17, 2026 2 minutes read

FREMONT — A woman who died last Wednesday from injuries suffered in a fire at her Irvington district apartment was identified by the coroner’s bureau Monday as Nagalakshmi Ganesan, 87, a retired nurse.

The actual cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said Monday.

The fire started about 9:20 a.m. Wednesday inside Ganesan’s first floor apartment at a complex at 4200 Irvington Ave. She was found with significant burns in a hallway outside the apartment and was taken to a hospital where she later died, officials said.

According to an online obituary Ganesan was “A devoted and compassionate nurse (who) dedicated more than 22 years of her life to public service, working at nearly every major government hospital in Chennai (Madras)” in India. “Caring for others was not only her profession, but an essential part of who she was,” the obituary says..

She moved to the United States in the mid-1990s, where she made her home primarily in Fremont, while also spending periods of her life in Toledo, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois.

The obituary said “Above all else, her life revolved around her family, her children, and her grandchildren. They were at the heart of everything she did and brought her the greatest joy.”

The obituary said, “She was a remarkably progressive, caring, loving, and strong woman — someone who lived life on her own terms while giving deeply of herself to those around her. Her strength, warmth, generosity, and unmistakable personality left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know her. She will be deeply loved, fondly remembered, and greatly missed by all whose lives she touched. May her memory live on through the family she cherished, the people she cared for, and the countless lives she touched throughout her remarkable life.”