State Fire Marshal deputies continue looking into the circumstances surrounding an early morning house fire in Choudrant that claimed the life of a toddler and severely injured his mother.
Around 3:15 a.m. on August 31, the Lincoln Parish Fire Department responded to the 700 block of Highway 821 in Choudrant for a report of a house fire.
When firefighters arrived, they learned a family of three, who were sleeping in the same room, were awakened by smoke in the home.
A 37-year-old male was able to escape uninjured while a 31-year-old woman escaped with severe burn injuries. She remains hospitalized in serious condition. Firefighters located the body of a 20-month-old boy on the floor of the bedroom the family was sleeping in.
After assessing the scene and obtaining witness statements, SFM deputies determined the fire began in the attic.
Investigators learned through those witness statements that the family had experienced electrical issues in the past. They also learned following power being restored to the home around 7 p.m. that those electrical issues continued. The cause of the fire remains undetermined at this time with the inability to rule out electrical malfunction.
There were no working smoke alarms in the home.
State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning wants to remind all Louisiana residents about the life-saving time smoke alarms can provide in the event of a fire emergency. Operation Save-A-Life partners with local fire departments to install smoke alarms, free of charge, for families that are unable to do so on their own. You can learn more about the program on lasfm.org.
