NICE, Calif. – A Tuesday afternoon structure fire near Robinson Rancheria left one person dead.

The fire was first dispatched shortly after 4:15 p.m. Tuesday at a home near the rancheria.

Firefighters arriving at the scene within minutes of dispatch found the stick-built home heavily involved with one person reported to be trapped and firefighters attempting a rescue.

Northshore Fire Chief Mike Ciancio, who served as incident commander, confirmed to Lake County News that the person who was trapped died in the fire.

Ciancio said Northshore Fire was assisted at the incident by Cal Fire, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol.

Also responding was a task force of four engines and a water tender from Mendocino County that have been staged in Lake County this week due to red flag weather conditions and the possibility of a public safety power shutoff, Ciancio said.

He said he had no idea what started the fire. “It’s under investigation.”

Investigators were called to the scene on Tuesday evening to try to determine the cause, Ciancio said. “The investigation’s probably going to take awhile.”

Ciancio said fire personnel would probably be on scene all night.

“We have to secure the scene for preservation of any evidence in case there was a crime. At this point, we don’t think so,” he said.

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