The cause of a fire that left an Erath man and his dog dead last night is still under investigation.
Firefighters were called to the 600 block of Severin Street at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday. They found the body of a man near the front door of the home, along with the body of his pet dog.
Smoke alarms were located in the home, however, none contained batteries, officials say.
While official identification and cause of death are pending with the Vermilion Parish Coroner’s Office, the victim is believed to be the homeowner who was in his mid-60s.
After assessing the scene, SFM investigators determined the fire originated in the living room area where the man was known to sleep.
At this time, the official cause remains undetermined, but investigators continue looking into the potential for electrical malfunction and/or unsafe smoking practices to be possible contributing factors.
State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning would like to reiterate the importance of working smoke alarms in giving residents critical seconds to escape a fire unharmed. If you have smoke alarms, make sure they are in working order and that you change the batteries every six months. If you cannot access smoke alarms, visit lasfm.org to learn more about Operation Save-A-Life which is a partnership between the SFM and local fire departments to install free smoke alarms in homes across the state.
Here's our original story:
One person is dead following an overnight house fire in Erath.
The Erath Fire Department responded to the 600 block of N. Severin Street around 8:15 pm on Sunday, June 14.
State Fire Marshal deputies are now investigating the cause of the fire.
Deputies say that firefighters located the body of an occupant inside the home after the fire was brought under control.
The SFM says that more information will be released as it becomes available.
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