Woodacre, CA -- Fire destroyed a home in the West Marin community of Inverness early Saturday morning, displacing residents without causing any injuries.
At 4:39 a.m., an emergency caller described a structure fire with flames shooting out of a roof in the 500 block of Pierce Point Road, located in the Shallow Beach area north of Inverness and adjacent to Tomales Bay State Park. Volunteers from Inverness Fire Department were first on scene, followed by the Marin County Fire Department personnel from Point Reyes Station.
Marin County Fire Battalion Chief Bret McTigue said the structure, an older two-story farmhouse, was a total loss. Another house and a smaller structure on the property were saved, he said. It was unknown how many people lived in the burned house, but all were out safely when firefighters arrived.
Shallow Beach is a private area along Tomales Bay with a locked gate about a mile from the homes. Responding fire crews were provided the combination of the gate lock and entered private driveway at 4:56 a.m. The neighborhood is surrounded by state park land.
The fire was knocked down at 5:40 a.m. despite a limited supply of water at the location, McTigue said. Only about 20,000 gallons of water was available on site and it was used “almost immediately,” he said. Three water tenders were used to shuttle water from a hydrant at the junction of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Pierce Point Road more than two miles away.
McTigue said it was expected to take several more hours of overhaul at the structure as firefighters attempt to salvage personal property.
Marin County Fire units from Point Reyes Station, Hicks Valley, Tomales, Throckmorton (Mount Tamalpais) and Woodacre responded to the call.