A house fire in Fairfield left a woman dead and a man seriously injured early Saturday morning.

Investigators believe a body found in the remains of the home is that of Rebecca Merrifield, 56, who lived there. Glenn Clausen, 60, also a resident, was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland with serious injuries, the Maine Department of Public Safety said in a news release.

Emergency workers in Somerset County responded at 3:40 am. to the blaze at 142 Bear Mountain Road. Firefighters from Clinton, Norridgewock, Oakland, Skowhegan and Waterville contained the blaze and afterward found Clausen, along with the body they believe is Merrifield’s.

DNA testing will confirm the identity of the deceased, whose remains were taken to a local funeral home.

Off a winding narrow dirt road in Fairfield, the house, which was destroyed in the fire, sat atop a hill overlooking a small pond. The house was 0.8 miles down the road from a gated entrance. When a reporter arrived on scene at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, the Office of State Fire Marshal, which is investigating, had its mobile unit staged on scene.

An investigator said he had “no idea” how the fire started and that they would be there “all day” as light rain fell. A man with a truck labeled “animal control officer” reported to the scene and picked up what appeared to be a deceased animal before leaving.

Staff Writer Greg Levinsky of the Morning Sentinel contributed to this report.