2-10-2023 4:13pm

Elderly Couple and Pet Cat Died in a Fire in Mar Vista

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

Mar Vista-On Wednesday, February 8, 2023, An elderly couple and their pet feline passed away after a fire, that occurred in their residence, located at 3537 May Street.

According to reports from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), the fire was reported at approximately 2:20 a.m.

An LAFD spokespersonLAFD said, the person reporting the fire, phone disconnected before the fire personnel could determine their needs.

The caller ID on the caller's landline telephone provided a number to callback and a home address, an LAFD team immediately responded to the location to investigate the issue. According to the LAFD spokesperson dispatchers continued to attempt to reconnect with the caller without making contact.

When the first LAFD response team arrived at the scene they found a heavy fire in the back of a one-story house and immediately called additional firefighting crews. 20 LAFD extinguished the fire which was mainly seated in the living room and the kitchen

During a search of the premises, firefighters found a male, a female, and a cat, inside the burned residence who were evaluated and determined to be unresponsive. The victims were Beyond medical or veterinary attention and pronounced deceased at the scene, LAFD said.

No other injuries were reported.

According to the LAFD, the home did not have operational fire sprinklers

Amid the investigation, there was no immediate evidence that the house was equipped with working smoke alarms or fire sprinklers as required by law, the spokesperson said.

LAFD says there was no indication of foul play, the cause of the LAFD investigation.

According to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, the victims are identified as 65-year-old Albert Sassoe Jr. and 68-year-old Doris Bergman.

The coroner has not yet determined their death's specific cause, time, and manner.

Written by Anita Johnson-Brown