Elderly Couple Found Dead at Home After Fire In 500 Block of Lincoln Blvd

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Two people were found dead inside a home early Sunday after firefighters extinguished a fire that engulfed the structure, according to local officials. Helen and Troy Spaulding, married 70 years, were both in wheelchairs and well into the 90's. They died together in the house where they raised 5 children.

The blaze was reported shortly before 3 a.m. (around 2:50 a.m.) in the 500 block of Lincoln Boulevard, the Santa Monica Fire Department said. Responding crews arrived to find heavy flames on all sides of the house. A car parked in the driveway suggested residents might still be inside, prompting a search once the flames were brought under control.

Firefighters located two people during the search. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released their identities pending notification of next of kin.

Helen and Troy Spaulding, married 70 years, died together in the house where they raised 5 children.

Neighbors told investigators that an elderly couple and a caretaker lived at the residence. Santa Monica Fire Department Division Chief James Altman said the victims were removed from the home "almost simultaneously." Crews provided advanced life support but were unable to revive them.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Cleanup operations continued at the scene into the morning hours.

No additional details on the victims or the origin of the fire were immediately available.