The cause of Anthony Spaulding's death remains undetermined after a house fire killed him and his wife in the 500 block of Lincoln Boulevard, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records reported by the Santa Monica Mirror.

The Medical Examiner ruled Helen Spaulding's death accidental, caused by smoke inhalation and thermal burns. But Anthony Spaulding's case has been deferred pending further investigation, and both cases remain open as of Wednesday, Aug. 12.

The cause and origin of the Aug. 9 fire also remain under active investigation by the Santa Monica Fire Department. As we reported Aug. 11, Helen's cause of death had just been determined, but questions about the fire's origin and Anthony's case were still unresolved.

What happened

Firefighters were dispatched at approximately 2:54 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9, to the older English Tudor-style home on Lincoln Boulevard. Crews arrived to find the single-family residence fully engulfed in flames with heavy smoke, according to SM Observer reporting.

SMFD Division Chief James Altman said both victims were removed from the first-floor bedroom "almost simultaneously" and that crews provided advanced life support but could not revive them. No firefighters were injured.

Both Anthony and Helen Spaulding were 92 years old. Their caregiver was not on duty at the time of the fire, Altman told the Los Angeles Times.

Investigation questions

Rick Garcia, the couple's caregiver, told KTLA on Aug. 12 that investigators had told him they were "not sure where the fire began, so they're still trying to decide if there was foul play." No official law enforcement or fire department source has confirmed or denied a foul play investigation on the record.

Garcia described the Spauldings as married nearly 70 years with five children. Anthony was a former attorney; Helen worked at a local church near their home.

"They were a lovely couple who had a great relationship," Garcia said. "It's very tragic."

Context

The Lincoln Boulevard fire was Santa Monica's second fatal residential blaze in about two months. An elderly man died after a June 5 fire at a building in the 2600 block of 5th Street, according to the Times.

Following the fire, the Santa Monica Fire Department renewed safety reminders about working smoke alarms and home escape plans. Both the Medical Examiner's determination on Anthony Spaulding and the fire origin investigation remain open, with no announced timeline for completion.