Cathy Perfect - Kern Valley Sun

A 94-year-old Southlake woman was found dead early Tuesday morning at the scene of a house fire in the 4400 block of Larsen Road in Southlake, the Kern County Fire Department reported.

On Tuesday, May 20 at approximately 3:17 a.m., 17 Kern County Fire Department firefighters responded to a report of a house fire in the Larsen Tract near the intersection of Larsen Road and Entrada Blvd. A 94-year-old woman was reported missing to firefighters, according to Kern County Fire Department Public Information Officer Sean Collins. She was later found deceased in the rear apartment, he said.

Approximately 17 Kern County Firefighters responded to an early morning blaze in the 4400 block of Larsen Road, Southlake, that took the life of an unidentified 94-year-old woman. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Upon arrival, fire crews found a fully developed fire in an apartment at the rear of the premises that was connected to the main house at the front of the property. The fire was spreading very quickly into the main house, Collins said. The fire rapidly engulfed the rear apartment, a completely wooden structure connected to the main house via a breezeway, forcing fire crews to 'go into a defensive mode,' Collins said. 'A fire crew made an initial attack on the fire at the rear of the house then made entry into the structure to extinguish the fire; simultaneously another crew went to the front property,' he said.

A limited water supply in the area hampered firefighting efforts, Collins added. 'Fire crews shuttled water from the nearest hydrant (located at Station 71 in the 9000 block of Navajo Avenue), approximately one mile from the scene,' said Collins.

'Until we get the coroner’s report, we won’t know if the victim died as a result of smoke inhalation or was caught in the fire,' Collins said.

Two adults awoke to the sound of the fire before their smoke alarm went off and they were able to escape unharmed before the arrival of fire crews. There were no other reported injuries.

Firefighters were able to save approximately $50,000 of adjacent property value. However, the fire destroyed approximately $165,000 of property and contents.

At press time Tuesday, the identity of the victim had not been released. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Further details, as they become available, can be found on the Sun’s webite, www.kvsun.com.