A person has died and several pets were found dead following an early-morning house fire in Mission on Friday.

Mission Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) responded to a home on Third Avenue, west of Murray Street, around 5:30 a.m.

When crews arrived, they encountered heavy flames at the rear of the residence and thick black smoke coming from the front door.

“At that point, firefighters were notified that not all occupants were accounted for,” Deputy Chief Nick Rychkun said in a statement.

Firefighters launched an aggressive interior attack, entering through the ground floor before advancing to the second floor, where the fire was heavily involved.

One other occupant was transported to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, according to MFRS.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Fire investigators remained on scene Friday as the investigation continued.