Nine people are displaced after an unattended candle sparked a fire at a four-unit apartment building in Lafayette Tuesday afternoon.
Lafayette firefighters responded to the area of Rue Royal shortly before 2:30 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls.
According to the fire department, the fire started in an upstairs bedroom when an unattended candle on a windowsill ignited combustible material. The flames spread to the attic and through the roof, causing damage to multiple units. Occupants of the apartment where the fire originated were downstairs when they noticed the blaze. They alerted their neighbors and called 911.
Initial reports indicated a disabled person might be inside one of the apartments. A neighbor assisted the individual out of the building before emergency crews arrived, authorities say.
Firefighters arrived within five minutes and searched the apartment while working to extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported.
Fire officials ruled the fire an accident and reminded the public never to leave lit candles unattended, to place them on noncombustible surfaces, and to keep them away from combustible items.
