A Santa Monica house fire has claimed the lives of a longtime married couple in their 90s, whose bodies were found inside their home after flames swept through the residence.
Helen and Anthony Spaulding, both 92, were discovered dead early Sunday at their multimillion-dollar property on the 500 block of Lincoln Boulevard.
“Our crews pulled both victims out, almost simultaneously, and we were able to provide advanced life safety support to them,” a Santa Monica Fire Department spokesperson told KTLA.
“Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in reviving the patients, and they had been deceased.”
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the victims were the elderly couple, who had shared 73 years of marriage.
Officials determined Helen’s death was accidental and caused by smoke inhalation and thermal burns. Anthony’s manner of death has not yet been determined.
Their son, Bruce Spaulding, mourned the loss in an emotional message, reflecting on the extraordinary length of his parents’ marriage.
“This is a tribute to lasting love my parents had for each other. Their marriage of 73 years tragically ended early Sunday morning as they passed away from a house fire in the family home,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“One beautiful thing though, they’re taking that next walk together as well. Rest in peace, Mom and Dad.”
The elderly couple’s caregiver, Rick Garcia, told KTLA that Anthony was a former attorney and Helen worked at a church nearby. They had lived in the neighborhood for many years, he said.
“They were a lovely couple,” Garcia said. “They had a great relationship, five lovely children, all very dedicated to their parents. It’s very tragic.”
The Spauldings also owned an apartment building in the 2300 block of Oakwood Avenue in Venice, according to The Daily Mail. Anthony also appeared to own a pair of two-bedroom, rental apartments in the 1400 block of Colby Avenue in Los Angeles, the outlet reported.
The properties had an estimated market value of $1.6 million, according to the outlet.
The cause of the fire remains unclear, and foul play has not been ruled out yet, Garcia said.
“The police are still doing an investigation,” he told KTLA. “They’re not sure where the fire began, so they’re still trying to decide if there was foul play, is what they told me, so they’re investigating.”
