LAFAYETTE PARISH — SCOTT, La. (KATC) — A Scott woman is thankful no one was hurt after waking up to a house fire early Sunday morning that destroyed her neighbor’s home.
Brenda Joseph says she stepped onto her porch just after 2 a.m. Sunday when she noticed smoke and flames coming from her neighbor’s backyard.
“As soon as I looked over, I saw the smoke and the flames,” Joseph said. “I ran back into the house, grabbed my cell phone and called 911, and started screaming for his son. By that time, the whole house was in flames.”
At the time of the fire, Joseph was home with her two grandchildren. All three were able to safely get out as the fire threatened to spread to her home next door.
Joseph says the home belonged to a man in his 80s. She tells KATC the man’s son arrived and was able to rescue his father from inside the burning house.
KATC attempted to speak with the family, but they declined an on-camera interview. Family members did share that the homeowner built the house from the ground up and had lived there since the 1980s.
The Scott Fire Department later confirmed the home was a total loss. Joseph’s home suffered heat damage but was saved from catching fire. The Carencro Fire Department assisted Scott firefighters at the scene.
Despite the destruction, Joseph says she’s grateful everyone made it out safely.
“They are really good neighbors of mine, and we all love him,” Joseph said. “We were very happy that he was ok, and that everyone was ok.”
According to the Scott Fire Department, the fire is believed to be accidental, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
