LAFAYETTE — A two-alarm fire broke out at the Fox Run Apartments in Lafayette earlier on Tuesday morning, and officials tell us it was caused by a lightning strike.
Occupants tell us that they heard a loud noise, and then began smelling smoke. When firefighters arrived to the scene around 10:30am, they were able to locate the fire in the attic.
At that point, officials declared it a two-alarm fire, which resulted all units being called out and about twenty-four firefighters on the scene.
Alton Trahan, the public information officer for the Lafayette Fire Department, tells us that no injuries or fatalities occurred to the eight occupants in the unit, but the damage to the building is extensive.
"They don't have anywhere to say," says Trahan. "The fire pretty much destroyed everything, and what wasn't destroyed by the fire, was destroyed by the water putting it out."
Lafayette firefighters were called out to an apartment fire at 504 Fox Run at 10:33 a.m. this morning, Trahan said.
Occupants of the apartment building reported a possible lightning strike to the structure. Firefighters arrived on scene to investigate and found smoke in an upstairs apartment.
Once access was gained to the attic, emergency crews discovered the attic full of flames, and the fire was spreading rapidly in the open area. That prompted a second alarm that resulted in three additional fire trucks responding.
In all, approximately 26 firefighters responded to extinguish the two story apartment building with four living units. After battling the multi-unit fire for forty-five minutes, the fire was finally brought under control. Fire crews remained on scene for over 3 hours.
The apartment building sustained heavy fire damage. The four units were occupied at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported. A total of seven people occupied the four units including a mother and her two children.
Fire officials confirmed that a lightning strike was observed by several witnesses outside the building. They noticed the strike hit the roof of the building producing a very loud sound. Shortly afterwards, smoke was coming from the building. In was raining heavy with lightning in the area prior to the fire. The cause of the fire was ruled weather-related.
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