Rothschild Fire: Hoarding May Have Been Factor In Millionaire's Death

LOS ANGELES, CA — A man found dead inside a Los Angeles County home that was badly damaged in a fire was a member of the famed Rothschild banking family, according to his neighbors.

Neighbors of the Laurel Canyon house told the LA Times that the man living there was William A. De Rothschild, the reclusive millionaire.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, firefighters responded to the blaze at the Hollywood Hills home at 8551 Lookout Mountain Ave. at 4:33 p.m.

It took about 45 firefighters and 30 minutes to extinguish the fire, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. They were able to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby vegetation or other structures, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.

During a search of the home after the fire was extinguished, firefighters found the body of a man, Humphrey said.

The house was also said to be a potential fire hazard, with possible hoarding conditions.

"Given the fire damage, it's kind of hard to determine how much of that was prior to the fire and how much of it is the building itself that has been demolished by the fire," Battalion Chief Adam Knabe of the LAFD told the station.

No other injuries were reported in the fire, but neighbors told the Times that Rothschild's dog, an Afghan hound, hasn't been seen since the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The body will be formally identified and the cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner/Coroner.

Neighbors described Rothschild to ABC7 as a reclusive and eccentric millionaire who owned vintage cars and multiple properties on the same street.

“It is very sad,” neighbor Jim Moore told ABC7. “He was a good guy. A good neighbor.”

The Rothschilds are a prominent Jewish family originally from Frankfurt, Germany who have dominated European banking. The family is often regarded as the richest family in the world, with an estimated net worth of $15.7 trillion, according to Newsweek.

Rothschild family members have been given noble titles from both the English monarchy and the Austrian Empire.

Thursday, the family's holdings are diversified to include real estate, financial services, mining, energy, agriculture and wine, among other interests. They're also noted art collectors and philanthropists.

City News Service contributed to this report.