San Rafael residences catch fire on hillside

A two-alarm fire severely damaged two residential buildings on a slope in San Rafael.

The fire was reported at about 11 p.m. Thursday at 60 Martens Blvd., a duplex, and 64 Martens Blvd., a single-household residence, according to Deputy Chief Robert Sinnott of the San Rafael Fire Department. The neighborhood is just east of C Street near the city’s southern boundary.

The garages, which are on the upper levels of the properties, were engulfed in flames when firefighters got there, Sinnott said. Crews cleared the residents and brought the fire under control in about 30 minutes. It took several hours to extinguish the fire and complete additional work.

The fire department reported no injuries.

Sinnott said the single-household residence and the two dwellings in the duplex are all “uninhabitable.”

“The garages and storage areas at street level on both properties are destroyed,” he said. “The homes below received some fire, smoke and water damage.”

The cause remained under investigation Friday. The damage estimate was not available.

The fire also damaged a utility pole, and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. sent a crew to replace it, Sinnott said.