Second death reported in aftermath of ‘suspicious’ Marin County fire

A second body was discovered at a San Rafael apartment complex that was destroyed by fire last week, authorities announced Monday.

Investigators located the victim in a damaged interior area late Sunday, San Rafael police Sgt. Justin Graham said. The Marin County coroner’s office is working to identify the victim.

The other victim was found at the back of the building on Friday. She was Tracey Lee Lowmiller, 62, of San Rafael, the coroner’s office said Monday afternoon.

“The second victim remains unidentified currently,” Chief Deputy Coroner Roger Fielding said. “Strong investigative leads have been established with the hope that the second female victim will be identified by week’s end.”

The fire began around 5:30 a.m. Thursday in the three-story, 19-apartment complex at 516 Canal St. Eight people were injured. Several occupants jumped out of windows or balconies to escape.

Graham said 53 people are staying at a temporary shelter. The city offered displaced residents a place to stay at the Albert J. Boro Community Center through Monday, then temporary shelter at a hotel. Relief workers, including the nonprofit Canal Alliance, are seeking longer-term housing for the victims.

The fire’s origin remains unknown, but investigators consider it a “suspicious” incident.

“Anytime we don’t know why the fire occurred, we want to take the worst-case scenario as suspicious,” Graham said Monday. “It’s better to be ahead of it, than to find something later on and not be prepared for it.”

Deputy Fire Chief Robert Sinnott described the fire as an “unusual” situation. He said building fires typically move slowly, and this one did not.

“When firefighters arrived, this building was burning from the first floor to the top floor, from side to side and front to back,” Sinnott said.

The complex passed its latest fire safety inspection last month and received no citations, he said.

“It passed with a reasonable degree of compliance,” Sinnott said.

He could not confirm if smoke detectors were activated at the building during the fire.

San Rafael police, the Marin County Fire Investigations Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are conducting the probe. Graham said investigators tentatively plan to remain at the complex until Wednesday. The property will be returned to the owner after the onsite investigation is complete.

The property owner is listed as Scott Bassin in Sugar Land, Texas, according to the Marin County Assessor’s Office. He could not be reached for comment.

Two fires also deemed suspicious occurred in the Canal area this spring. Investigators suspect an arsonist ignited a fire in March that damaged the former Terrapin Crossroads restaurant and music venue on Yacht Club Drive. One month later, a fire broke out at a boat that was being refurbished at the San Rafael Yacht Harbor.

Sinnott said firefighters do not know if there is a link between the apartment complex fire and the other two incidents.

The public can support relief for the Canal Street fire victims by donating money to Canal Alliance at canalalliance.org.