A trailer fire in Copperopolis on Oct. 9 displaced 2026 Mother Lode Roundup Queen KaeLee Gates and newly-crowned 2027 Miss Grand National Rodeo Queen Taryl Townsend, while they were in the Bay Area for a competition.
The fire destroyed the trailer Gates lived in and all her belongings, including her rodeo queen closet and its contents, and it damaged the trailer Townsend lived in, rendering it uninhabitable. Gates and Townsend are now staying with close friends in Sonora.
Gates’ horses, Lux and Dixie, and Townsend’s horse, Trip, were not injured.
The two rodeo queen contestants described the rollercoaster of emotions they experienced that weekend, as they learned the extent of the damage to their homes at the time that Townsend competed for and won the 2027 Miss Grand National Rodeo Queen title.
“I think the part for me that’s the most emotional to think about is if we had been home, or if we had left our dogs at home, if my cats had been inside, and if her horse had been there, within the vicinity that burned,” Gates told The Union Democrat.
“Either of us could’ve lost our lives. My cats could’ve lost their lives. Either of our dogs could’ve lost their lives. Her horse could’ve lost its life. Everything else that was lost is material. And I know that God has me in his hands and he protected us and he protected all of our animals there.”
The fire was reported at 8:27 p.m. Oct. 9 at Bridlewood Equestrian Center on Steeplechase Drive, while Gates and Townsend were at the Cow Palace in Daly City so that Townsend could compete to become the 2027 Miss Grand National Rodeo Queen.
Four fire engines, one ambulance and one water truck responded to the blaze, Copperopolis Fire Protection District Chief Scott Hertzog said in a phone interview last week. The first engine arrived at 8:36 p.m. and found a roughly 40-foot travel trailer fully involved in flames with fire extending into the wildland.
The first engine crews on scene started attacking the fire and trying to protect the other trailer and other nearby structures. They knocked down the trailer fire and the vegetation fire within minutes. Forward progress of the vegetation fire was stopped at 8:57 p.m.
“One trailer was fully destroyed, an additional trailer was damaged, and one vehicle, a sedan, sustained some damage,” Hertzog said. “No injuries were reported. No one was present at the time of the fire as far as occupants. The cause of the fire is still undetermined at this time, pending investigation.”
Gates and Townsend have been friends since February, when they first met during early stages of the 2026 Mother Lode Roundup Queen Contest. Gates, who grew up in San Andreas, was crowned 2026 Mother Lode Roundup queen on May 7 at Black Oak Casino Resort. Townsend grew up in San Diego County and was a resident of Sonora when she finished first runner-up to Gates in May.
Townsend moved to the equestrian center recently. She and Gates left Copperopolis about 9 a.m. Oct. 9 and were both at the Grand National Rodeo at the Cow Palace when the fire occurred that night.
Gates said she started getting calls about the fire in Copperopolis from friends at 8:37 p.m. Oct. 9, but she didn’t speak to anyone until about 9:30 p.m. Gates shared photos that other people took of her trailer while it was on fire and the charred remains of her trailer and Townsend’s damaged trailer the following day.
“You can see what’s left of my trailer in the foreground and her damaged trailer on the left,” Gates said. “The fire melted or broke like five of her windows, I believe. She didn’t have anything inside that actually burned. But the windows broke and all the smoke got in there and her door got ruined, too, because they opened it up to make sure nothing was on fire inside.”
In spite of the devastating news about the fire, Gates and Townsend remained at the Cow Palace because Townsend was scheduled to compete Oct. 10. The night before, Gates knew her place and her belongings had been destroyed, but she did not yet know how badly Townsend’s trailer was damaged.
They were up at 4 a.m. Oct. 10 at the Cow Palace to get Townsend’s horse ready to compete at 8 a.m.
“She competed in the 2027 Miss Grand National Rodeo Queen contest on Saturday morning but we didn’t find out about the damage to her trailer until about 3 o’clock in the afternoon,” Gates said. “Right before she delivered her speech around noon I got a call and was told that her trailer was also unlivable. So it was right after she finished competing and right before she was crowned that she found out that her trailer was also damaged.”
Townsend’s horse Trip’s pen was right behind Gates’ and Townsend’s trailers, and it burned in the fire, so it was fortunate Trip was at the Cow Palace for the contest, Gates said.
Townsend was crowned 2027 Miss Grand National Rodeo Queen about 8 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 10. Gates’ mother drove her home and her father stayed to drive Townsend home later.
“To say this weekend was one to remember is an understatement,” Townsend posted to social media on Oct. 14. “I experienced every emotion possible, made new friends and memories, felt so much love from family and friends, and had the privilege of experiencing the Grand National Rodeo at the historic Cow Palace.
“But in the middle of all the excitement and accomplishments, life also threw us some unexpected challenges. As many of you have heard, my dear friend KaeLee lost her home in a fire, and unfortunately, mine caught fire as well. Both of our homes are currently unlivable, but thankfully, we and our animals are safe. Through something so difficult, we have been reminded just how incredible the people around us are.”
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help raise funds for Gates, and both Townsend and Gates are accepting donations on their Venmo accounts. Townsend’s Venmo is @Trayl-Townsend and Gates’ Venmo is @kaeleegates.
A woman named Dawn Searls posted the GoFundMe for Gates at www.gofundme.com/f/support-my-dear-friend-after-the-fire.
“I’m raising funds for my dear friend and former trainer after a fire burned down the home where she lived at the barn,” Searls stated in the GoFundMe for Gates. “The fire happened tonight, and it has been nerve-wracking, scary, and devastating for everyone involved. This is also the barn where my horses reside, so the shock of what happened feels very close to home. She lost everything in the fire, including clothes, blankets, a bed, furniture, dishes, and kitchen supplies. Right now, the immediate need is to help replace the basic essentials she will need in the days ahead.”
Contact Guy McCarthy at gmccarthy@uniondemocrat.net or (209) 770-0405. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @GuyMcCarthy.