Body Of Elderly Woman Found In Burning San Rafael Home
SAN RAFAEL (BCN) - San Rafael firefighters found the body of an 85-year-old woman while battling a two-alarm blaze at a Terra Linda home Wednesday night.
Firefighters arrived three minutes after the first call at 7:30 p.m. about a fire at 9 Serra Way, San Rafael Fire Chief Christopher Gray said.
The home, a U-shaped, Eichler-style residence near Del Ganado Road that was built about 40 years ago, is three blocks from a fire station, Gray said.
One side of the home contains a kitchen, living room and dining area and the other side has two bedrooms, Gray said. There is an atrium in the center of the home.
Firefighters found the body of 87-year-old Hilda Burket in the dining room as firefighters were battling the blaze, Gray said.
An autopsy determined that Burket's body had not been burned by
flames, and the coroner's office is awaiting the results of toxicology
results to determine the cause of her death.
The fire started in the kitchen but the cause has not been determined.
Two dogs also died in the fire. Gray said he doesn't believe anyone else lived at the home.
Neighbors across the street had called 911 and tried to enter the home but were pushed back by heavy smoke and heat, Gray said.
"They did all that was humanly possible to get there quickly, but unfortunately the damage was already done," Gray said.
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