Man, Woman and Cat Perish In Mar Vista House Fire
A elder man and woman and their cat perished early Wednesday morning in a Mar Vista house fire.
A single 9-1-1 call was received at 2:22 AM on February 8, 2023, with the caller disconnecting before their needs could be determined.
Because the Caller ID feature of their wired telephone provided both a callback phone number and a definitive address, an LAFD crew was promptly dispatched to investigate, as dispatchers sought unsuccessfully to reconnect with the caller.
The initial Los Angeles Fire Department responders arrived to find fire visible from the rear of a one story home at 3537 May Street, and immediately summoned additional firefighting resources.
The first arriving 20 LAFD personnel, under the command of Battalion Chief Robert Takeshita, had the intense blaze - which largely involved the kitchen and living room, fully extinguished at 2:50 AM.
In searching the premises, firefighters located a man, woman and pet cat lifeless inside the burnt home. Beyond medical or veterinary assistance, they were determined to be dead at the scene.
No other injuries were reported.
With severe fire damage to the structure, there was no immediate evidence that the 1,096 square-foot residence was equipped with functional smoke alarms, as required by law. The 73 year-old building did not feature optional residential fire sprinklers.
A positive identification of the deceased, as well as the specific cause, time and manner of their death, will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
Monetary loss from the fire is still being tabulated. Though foul play is not suspected, the cause of the deadly blaze remains the focus of an active Los Angeles Fire Department investigation.
