A woman died last night when a single-alarm fire erupted in her South Richmond home. The woman, whose identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin, was found on a sofa in the home in the 3500 block of East Weyburn Road, near Chippenham Parkway. She was pronounced dead at the scene, Richmond fire Lt. Michael Oprandy said. The cause of death has not been determined and an autopsy will be conducted, he said.

Chesterfield County fire officials battled a house fire for more than an hour yesterday around noon. Firefighters arrived at 12:14 p.m. at a house in the 8600 block of Baldwin Creek Road off Hull Street Road. They found heavy fire on the house’s front porch, and at least 60 percent of the house was ablaze, said Battalion Chief Jim Fitch.

No injuries were reported this morning in a fire that significantly damaged a house in western Henrico County. The fire, which was reported about 3:30 a.m. in the 1800 block of Harvard Road near the Glenside Drive intersection, was brought under control in about an hour. Authorities said two residents of the house, both of whom had already gotten safely outside by the time firefighters arrived, were being assisted by the Greater Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Nick Nolte escaped a fire that caused an estimated $1.5 million in damage to his Malibu home yesterday, authorities said. The 67-year-old actor scraped his arm and inhaled some smoke but was not hospitalized, Los Angeles County fire Inspector Sam Padilla said. The fire was reported at 11:34 a.m. at Nolte’s secluded residence on Bonsall Drive.

Jomon Wilson reacted on instinct. A letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, Wilson had just started his route today shortly before 10 a.m. in Richmond’s Highland Park neighborhood when he saw smoke coming from the side of a house. Wilson raced up to the one-story bungalow in the 3400 block of First Avenue and began banging on the door.