A Thursday morning house fire on Lincoln Street in Lafayette is now out but firefighters say the home sustained heavy fire damage.
Lafayette firefighters responded to the 200 block of Lincoln Street for a reported house fire at 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning. A neighbor called informing emergency dispatchers the house was on fire.
According to LFD, the caller reported that the occupant was outside the home in a safe location. When firefighters arrived on scene, the front of the home was engulfed in flames. An search was conducted to confirm all occupants were out.
Spokesperson for the department Alton Trahan says the fire was brought under control within fifteen minutes of arriving. The house sustained heavy fire damage.
Trahan says that the elderly homeowner was inside her bedroom when she began to smell smoke. She got up to check where the burnt smell was coming from and noticed the bedroom of her disabled adult nephew was on fire. Her nephew had left earlier that morning.
The homeowner quickly exited and went to a neighbor’s house for help. She escaped without any injuries.
Unfortunately, fire officials say that the homeowner did not have any insurance. She lived with her nephew who has special needs. The American Red Cross was contacted to provide immediate assistance to the occupants.
Fire investigators determined the fire originated in an electrical receptacle in the bedroom. An overloaded receptacle was the cause.
The fire was ruled an accident
