Family members sang quietly outside the home where their relative, a woman, was found dead after firefighters responded to a house fire in Long Beach Tuesday.
The fire was reported about 10:12 a.m. in the 300 block of Del Amo Boulevard, said Matthew Dobberpuhl of the Long Beach Fire Department.
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The coroner identified the victim as 40-year-old Nghi Tran, of Long Beach.
When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke coming out of the residence and found a woman dead inside, Dobberpuhl said. The blaze was knocked down quickly.
Family members gathered outside the home to mourn her death.
"First of all, we lost our close one, of course we are very sad," the victim's brother-in-law, Peter Vuong, told NBC4. "She has a family, a husband, a daughter."
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Witnesses said there were no visible flames, only a lot of smoke and a strong smell. A plumber working next door tried to help.
"He saw all the smoke coming out so he tried to get in," witness Daniel Delgado said. "He started knocking on doors and windows, and when he saw no one was answering, he was trying to get in but couldn't."
A neighbor saw smoke nearby.
"Actually, my little Chihuahua alerted me that something was going on, so I came out and I saw all the smoke," neighbor Rocio Maldonado said.
Homicide detectives and arson investigators were at the scene Tuesday afternoon. Officials did not release further details about the victim.
