Crews Monitoring Smoldering Rubble of Orinda Home Destroyed in Fire

Fire crews are still keeping an eye on the remnants of a fire that destroyed a $1 million home in Orinda on Monday and displaced two people, a Moraga-Orinda Fire District spokesman said today.

Crews are still on the scene at 46 Tarry Lane to monitor the smoldering rubble of the fire and ensure it doesn't rekindle, according to fire district spokesman Dennis Rein.

The blaze was initially reported around 6:40 a.m. Monday after a resident inside the two-story home awoke to the smell of smoke and saw flames on an outside deck. The resident and two others inside the home were able to evacuate safely and fire crews arrived on the scene a short time later, Rein said.

Firefighters had to battle the blaze from outside of the home after the structure of the residence partially collapsed, Rein said. Crews had the fire under control by mid-morning and were able to keep the blaze from spreading to neighboring homes and brush, he said.

"Our big concern was keeping the fire confined to that one structure," Rein said. "If we had some high wind, it could have been a very different situation."

The house, which is valued at more than $1 million, was completely gutted in the fire, Rein said.

Two residents were displaced -- the third person inside the home on Monday was a friend staying over, Rein said.

Fire investigators believe the blaze started outside the home. However, the damage to the house is so extensive that they have not yet been able to determine a cause.

--Bay City News