The fire at 5206 San Jose Ave. was reported around 6:45 a.m. and controlled by 7:15 a.m., fire engineer Rico Rincon said.
The fire department initially responded to a report of a fire in the back storage unit of a hardware store but found the small home behind the store was ablaze, Rincon said.
One firefighter fell through the roof while battling the flames but was not taken to the hospital, he said.
Investigators do not know if the person who died had any association with the hardware store.
Rincon said the house was estimated to be about 600 square feet. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
