Mill Valley house fire kills resident and dog

A house fire in Mill Valley on Monday left a resident dead and also killed a dog, the Southern Marin Fire District reported.

The fire was reported at 12:38 a.m. at 744 Alta Vista Road in Tamalpais Valley. The first fire crew to arrive found “advanced fire conditions with a large amount of smoke and fire coming from the front of the building and from a window on the right side yard of the structure,” Battalion Chief Travis Fox said.

Firefighters found the dead resident in a rear bedroom of the 1,192-square-foot house. Four dogs survived the fire.

Crews contained the fire in about 20 minutes and had it extinguished by 1:09 a.m., Fox said.

The cause is under investigation. Fox said the fire caused major damage in the rear bedroom and moderate heat and smoke damage throughout the home.

Other agencies that assisted at the fire included the Marin County Fire Department, the Central Marin Fire Department, the Tiburon Fire Protection District and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

The county coroner’s office did not release the resident’s name Monday. Chief Deputy Coroner Roger Fielding said the resident’s identity would have to be confirmed by “scientific means” because of the severe burn injuries.