A woman in her 80s has been pronounced dead after a house fire in Novato Wednesday night, according to fire officials.

At about 10:30 p.m. a passerby reported heavy smoke and fire coming from a residence in the 600 block of Cherry Street, said Novato Fire Chief Bill Tyler. When firefighters arrived they found the house ablaze. Crews had a difficult time gaining entry because the house was “full of materials” and “extra storage.”

“It appears there is a large volume of storage beyond what people would normally have in their home,” Tyler said.

They located the woman in the home after a difficult time gaining safe entry due to the materials stored in the residence. Firefighters attempted CPR on the woman, but she died, Tyler said.

Officials learned that the woman, who lived alone in the home, had been dropped off by friends at around 7:30 p.m. after going shopping.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.