Three dead in Clearlake Oaks house fire

Three people are believed to have died in a fire that destroyed a Clearlake Oaks home Monday morning, Lake County sheriff’s officials said.

Deputies recovered the remains of what they believe are two men and one woman from the single-family residence on Bass Lane, which had been engulfed in the 7:30 a.m. blaze, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The victims may have been related. Deputies spoke with area residents and learned a family of three lived in the home, and that the family members’ vehicles were parked at the home.

The Sheriff’s Office has notified the victims’ family members but is awaiting the results of a forensic examination before making an official identification of the bodies, according to authorities.

The North Shore Fire Protection District responded to the flames and is investigating the cause and origins of the fire.

The house, located in the Clear Lake Keys development, was two stories and was “pretty destroyed,” said Andrew Basurto, the president of the Clear Lake Keys Property Owners Association. A photograph he provided of the back of the house showed firefighters amid blackened building frames.

Authorities encourage anyone with information about the incident to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-263-2690 or the Northshore Fire Protection District.

You can reach Staff Writer Andrew Graham at 707-526-8667 or andrew.graham@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @AndrewGraham88