LAFAYETTE PARISH — LAFAYETTE, La. — A fire tore through several apartment units on Simcoe Street in Lafayette over the weekend, displacing six families and forcing residents to flee for safety.
Witnesses who did not want to go on camera say a woman living in the building with her children was forced to jump from a second-floor balcony to escape the flames. Her children were able to get out of the apartment safely without having to jump.
The Lafayette Fire Department says the fire started in a laundry room after a firework was improperly disposed of inside a trash can, which then caught fire and spread.
Fire officials confirm six families were displaced as a result of the fire. No deaths were reported.
Witnesses also told our newsroom that one of the fire extinguishers inside the building did not work at the time of the fire. Officials have not confirmed that claim.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
