PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A massive house fire on Court Street in Olde Towne on Tuesday morning was accidental, Portsmouth Fire officials said Thursday.
A woman who died in the fire was also identified by authorities Thursday as Danielle Erikamary Bielinstein, 65, of Portsmouth.
Officials say they made multiple attempts to get into the bedroom where Bielinstein was believed to be, but as the house was further engulfed in flame, crews had to retreat and protect it from spreading to nearby homes.
Another resident escaped the blaze and was treated at the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One dead, another hospitalized after house fire in Olde Towne: PFR
The house, known locally as the Maupin home, had been owned by the same family since at least 1902.
Gregory Eatroff, curator of the