Lone fire victim identified as wife of plastic surgeon
A 68-year-old woman died in a fast-moving fire that destroyed a Brentwood home and, authorities said Wednesday, she was the only person inside at the time of the blaze.
Officials identified the victim as Ellen Pine Sengelmann.
They had been worried when the blaze broke out shortly before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday that her husband, semi-retired plastic surgeon Robert Sengelmann, might also be trapped in the house, based on information that had been provided by neighbors.
About 90 firefighters battled the blaze in the 2,400-square-foot, single-family house and searched for hours to determine if anyone else was inside.
By the time firefighters ended their search, no other person was discovered, although the badly charred remains of a dog were found.
Early Wednesday, a relative told authorities that the husband was out of town at the time of the blaze.
The firefighting and search efforts were complicated by the stacks and boxes of documents, believed to be patients’ medical records, that were crammed into the garage and elsewhere around the 36-year-old, two-story home.
A relative said Robert Sengelmann was in the midst of moving to a new office and was temporarily storing his records at home.
Ellen Sengelmann, a nurse, had worked as an office manager in her husband’s medical practice.
Brian Humphrey, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman, said there was no indication of foul play in Sengelmann’s death, but an investigation led by fire officials is continuing.
As of late Wednesday, authorities had not determined whether Sengelmann died in the fire or had succumbed earlier, and no conclusion was made regarding the cause of the blaze.
Damage to the house and its contents was estimated at $700,000.
The fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes.
To keep the fire from spreading to nearby homes in the hilly neighborhood, 11 Los Angeles fire companies, with five ambulances, a helicopter and other personnel were dispatched to the scene.
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