Authorities are working to identify a person who was found dead inside a home during a fire near Grants Pass.

The fire was reported at 11:11 p.m. on Timberidge Road in the Jerome Prairie area southwest of town, according Austin Prince of Rural/Metro Fire.

Prince said a neighbor spotted the fire. Firefighters from the Grants Pass fire department also responded.

“Upon arrival, we could see flames coming from the home and a car in the carport, but there was nobody out in front to talk to. We began a standard two-prong approach, fighting the fire and starting a search of the property for occupants,” Prince said.

“The entire house was filled with smoke and there was no visibility. There was a lot of stuff in the place and we had to force-entry some of the doors to conduct the room-to-room search,” said Prince.

During the search, firefighters found one person dead inside the home.

The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office was tasked with notifying next of kin. Sheriff Dave Daniel and Undersheriff Travis Snyder said deputies are working on identification.

Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office arrived at the property Monday to conduct an investigation and determine the cause.

It was the first fatal house fire in Josephine County since Dec. 27, 2021, when a 59-year-old was found dead in the wreckage of a trailer fire adjacent to Hugo Road. There were no indications of foul play.

In Jackson County last year, one person and two dogs died in a trailer fire on the Fourth of July on South Columbus Avenue. Fireworks were ruled out as a cause.

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Reach reporter Casey Valentine at 541-474-3806 or cvalentine@thedailycourier.com.