OPELOUSAS, La. — UPDATE: The Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal confirmed further details on the fire at Fat Belly's Diner in Opelousas Saturday morning.
According to LAOSFM, the 48-year-old restaurant owner—identified as Jermain Doucet by OFD—his 33-year-old girlfriend and her 9-year-old daughter all died in the fire. The fire marshal's office said all three individuals were living in a residential area connected to the business.
SFM investigators are currently working to determine the origin and cause of the fire, but they did confirm the building did not have working smoke alarms.
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Three people died after a fire broke out at Fat Belly's Diner in Opelousas early Saturday morning, according to authorities.
According to Opelousas Fire Chief Bryan Chavis, the fire started around 2:30 a.m. Saturday at Fat Belly's Diner, located at 317 E. Jefferson St. in Opelousas. Chavis said the fire was contained within the service area of the building, near the cash register, but smoke spread throughout the restaurant.
After a call to 911, OFD pulled three people out of the building, including Jermain Doucet, the diner's owner. Doucet and two others were taken to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office is currently investigating the incident. KATC has reached out but has not yet heard back.
