Victims Identified in Fire at Mar Vista Home

The home in the West LA area did not appear to be equipped with functioning smoke alarms.

NBC Universal, Inc.

A man and woman were found dead early Wednesday following a fire at a Mar Vista home.

Firefighters responded at about 2:30 a.m. to a 1,096-square-foot home in the 3500 block of South May Street in the West Los Angeles community.

One 911 call was received, but the call ended before the caller could provide details about the emergency, the fire department said. The wired telephone provided a callback number and address, allowing LAFD crews to respond to the location as dispatchers tried to reconnect with the caller.

The home was engulfed in flames, but the fire was knocked down in about 20 minutes. Most of the fire was in the kitchen and living room, the fire department said.

There was no indication that the home had functioning smoke alarms, which are required by law.

After the fire, firefighters found the victims and a deceased cat.

Albert Sassoe Jr., 65, and Doris Bergmann, 68, died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

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