Teenage girl dead, 3 others injured in early morning Orinda house fire

ORINDA, Calif. (KTVU) - A teenage girl died and three others were injured, including a firefighter, in an early morning two-alarm house fire in Orinda on Sunday. 

The Moraga-Orinda Fire District received report of a structure fire in the 500 block of Moraga Way near Donald Reservoir just before 4 a.m. On arrival, firefighters discovered someone still inside the residence. There was dramatic shift in the conditions, leading to the fire being "flashed," which is where everything inside the building becomes combustible due to a dramatic change in conditions.

In this case, it was an extreme spike in heat. Chief David Winnacker said in a press conference that the structure's brick walls and tile roof created "oven-like conditions."

Two residents made it out of the house before fire crews arrived. The third, a 16-year-old girl, did not. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The girl who died was identified by an Orinda school official as Luca Gero, a student at Miramonte High School in Orinda, where she ran cross country and participated in the high and long jump, according to her school. 

Her parents were out of town at the time, according to the Mercury News.

The two who made it out were transported to Saint Francis Medical Center and are being treated for burn wounds. Their names were not released. 

"This is a tragic loss for the city of Orinda," said Chief Mark Nagel of Orinda Police Department. "This is a close-knit community. The family and their children have gone through the Orinda schools." 

She has two siblings who attend Orinda schools and counseling will be offered on several campuses when classes resume after the Thanksgiving holiday break. 

A firefighter suffered second degree burns. He was treated at a nearby hospital and released.  

Press conference on deadly house fire in #Orinda https://t.co/wzl61sGAv3

— Elissa Harrington (@EHarringtonTV) November 18, 2018
A total of nine fire engines responded to the scene and the fire was controlled just after 5 a.m. 

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The school set up a GoFundMe for her family.