Investigation Continues In Larkspur Apartment Fire

Investigators are still trying to sort out what led to a fire in a ground-floor apartment on Lincoln Village Circle in Larkspur early Sunday morning.

Twin Cities Police have identified the tenant, but are not releasing her name out of concern for her privacy. Police confirmed the tenant had only recently moved into the newly-renovated unit. Investigators are still trying to determine the motive behind the fire, according to Det. David Woo.

The Larkspur Fire Department responded to a report of smoke coming from an apartment. Firefighters from Corte Madera, San Rafael and Kentfield, along with the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, also arrived at the Serenity Apartments at 7:10 a.m. at 2700 Lincoln Village Circle to find the apartment filled with smoke, according to the Larkspur Fire Department. 

An initial search found no one inside the apartment unit at the time. Fire crews located the main body of fire in the bathroom, which was quickly extinguished. Crews then confirmed that the fire had not spread to units on either side or to the second or third floors of the complex. Smoke had to be removed from several other affected apartment units. 

Subsequently, it was determined that contents, possibly articles from a nearby dresser drawer, were placed in the bathroom and ignited. Several matches found in the vicinity make this appear to be an intentionally caused fire.

There are no sprinklers inside the apartment and it was determined that the smoke detector device had been disabled.

Fire damage was confined to within the apartment's bathroom. Initial fire and smoke damage estimates are less than $50,000. All neighboring apartment complex tenants were allowed back into their homes within 30 minutes of the fire being extinguished.

Management at Serenity at Larkspur Apartments refused to comment.