The Lafayette Fire Department is investigating house fire they say started after the home was burglarized.
Firefighters were called to the scene at 9:00 Tuesday September 3 after a resident in the 300 block of Joan Street reported a house on fire. When firefighters arrived in the area, they discovered a single-family home that was engulfed in flames.
Heavy smoke and flames were venting through the front windows of the home. Neighbors told firefighters that an elderly man lived in the home but a search found that no one was inside. The owner, according to the fire department, was out of state visiting a relative.
The home and the contents sustained heavy fire damage. The fire was extinguished after 15 minutes. The fire originated in the bedroom and was ruled intentional. The home was burglarized prior to the fire being set, according to the fire department.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact Lafayette Fire Department at 291-8716 or Crime Stoppers at 232-TIPS.
