A mobile home fire on Monday in New Iberia claimed the life of a 74-year-old woman.
The State Fire Marshal's Office says that deputies are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire on November 23.
Deputies say firefighters responded to the 5200 block of Norris Road around 9:00 am.
Upon arrival, firefighters say a male occupant of the home alerted them that a female occupant, his 74-year-old mother, was still inside.
Firefighters later discovered the woman’s body inside near the back door.
Deputies say that official identification and cause of death are pending an autopsy by the Iberia Parish Coroner’s Office.
Deputies determined the fire originated in the home’s living room.
According to deputies, the surviving occupant said that he was in his bedroom when he heard his mother yelling about hearing a popping sound coming from outside the front door. When he looked for the source of the sounds, he discovered a fire around a window A/C unit right next to the front door.
The man reportedly attempted to put the fire out with a water hose, but was unsuccessful. Deputies say he and a neighbor made an attempt to save his mother, only to be blocked by the ceiling falling in.
While the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined at this time, investigators are not ruling out the possibility of electrical malfunction related to the recently installed window A/C unit as a contributing factor.
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