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.
Watch related: Tragedy in Olde Towne: Deadly fire claims life and beloved Maupin family home
The house, known locally as the Maupin home, had been owned by the same family since at least 1902.
Gregory Eatroff, curator of the History and Genealogy Room at the Portsmouth Public Library, confirmed that historical records list Gabrielle Bielenstein and Florence Maupin as residents in the early 1990s.
“The Maupin family has been on that property since about the turn of the last century,” Eatroff said. “Their continuity in the city shows a kind of rootedness that’s becoming increasingly rare in the U.S."
Eatroff said the family’s legacy in Portsmouth extends back as far as 1812.
Members of the Maupin family were physicians and community leaders who helped treat residents during the city’s deadly yellow fever epidemic of 1855. Some also worked in the railroad industry, contributing to Portsmouth’s development as a transportation hub.
The house itself was known for its Gothic architecture, a rare style in the Olde Towne area, and its signature side garden, which helped it stand out in the historic district.
Neighbors expressed shock and sadness over the loss.
“It’s devastating,” one resident told News 3. “We live two doors down. This house was part of our community’s identity.”
