A kitchen fire rendered a home near San Rafael uninhabitable Saturday and displaced two people, fire officials announced Monday.

At about 7:15 p.m., neighbors heard smoke alarms going off in a home on Mabry Way in the unincorporated community of Venetia, according to San Rafael Fire Department officials.

When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke coming from the eaves and attic area of the single-family home. Fire crews entered the house and found the fire in the kitchen.

Nobody was home at the time, but a dog was in the backyard.

Firefighters respond to a nighttime residential fire, with emergency vehicles and smoke visible.
The San Rafael Fire Department responded to a call reporting active smoke alarms inside of a single-story, single-family residence and smoke coming from the eaves of the home at 125 Mabry Way in Santa Venetia, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2026. Firefighters forced entry through the front door and encountered thick, black smoke coming from the kitchen. Firefighters confirmed that no occupants were inside and a dog was located in the backyard and relocated from the property. (Santa Rosa Fire Department via Bay City News)

The fire was quickly doused and contained to the kitchen area, but the home sustained enough smoke and other damage to render it uninhabitable, fire officials said.

The cause is under investigation. No injuries were reported, and the American Red Cross responded to help the two occupants and their dog.

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.