Louisiana is seeing a record number of house fire deaths already for the month of January.
That comes just after one person died in a New Iberia fire Saturday.
“As we are ending the month of January we have documented 15 individuals in Louisiana who have died in their homes; the vast majority of these fire deaths are directly related to the cold weather,” says Ashley Rodrigue.
According to the state fire Marshal's office, The last time Louisiana saw this level of loss of life to fire in the month of January was in 2018 when 20 people died in home fires.
They say the temperature drop and increased use in space heaters are contributing to these fires.
One of those fatalities happened Saturday in New Iberia that took the life of one 50 year-old woman in an RV.
State Fire Marshal spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says it’s crucial to be mindful of what and how you have things plugged up to prevent this from happening to you.
“Make sure the space heaters that you are using are three to five feet away from any combustible objects. That includes blankets, chairs, curtains, you name it,” Rodrigue said.
And never think this can’t happen to you.
“It’s time now in your homes knowing that we still have cold weather ahead of us to get with your families and practice home escape plans," she says. "We need people to understand it can happen to you. It can happen to your loved ones. No one is immune to fire danger.”
If you're in need of a fire smoke alarm the state fire marshal's office has a program called Operation Save A Life that will install smoke alarms in your home.
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