Fire Quickly Brought Under Control on Sir Francis Drake

A fire at 1030 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard was quickly brought under control this morning after residents smelled smoke and called the fire department.

One resident was awake and watching TV when they smelled smoke at 4:53 a.m., said Ross Valley Fire Department spokesperson JoAnne Lewis. The building did not have a smoke alarm and so the resident being awake was the only way they knew about the fire.

"They were very lucky," she said.

Six engines from Ross Valley Fire and Kentfield Fire responded and brought the blaze under control by 5:08 a.m. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard was temporarily closed for less than 10 minutes.

When firefighters arrived, all the residents were outside the house. One person had used a fire extinguisher to control the fire before the firefighters arrived.

The flames were contained to the area underneath the house and involved the furnance and utilities in that area. The cause is under investigation.

No one was injured, though the family has been displaced from the home, and $40,000 worth of damage was inflicted.