MANY, La. — State Fire Marshal (SFM) Chief Bryan Adams is recommending fire safety measures for families to consider while traveling in the wake of a double fatal fire at a fishing camp in Sabine Parish over the weekend.
Shortly before 2 am on Sunday, April 7, 2024, the Central Sabine Fire Department responded to a house fire located on Brunson Drive in Many. Brunson Drive is located near Bray Road, off of LA Highway 191, in the Lanana Bay area of Toledo Bend Lake.
According to the State Fire Marshal's Office, four men were in the home at the time of the fire. Two of the men said that they woke up to sounds similar to thunder and opened their bedroom doors to smoke. The men escaped through the windows of the rooms where they were sleeping before attempting to reach the other two men through the windows of those rooms.
The attempts were unsuccessful and firefighters found the bodies of the other two men in the same bedroom, officials report.
The Sabine Parish Coroner’s Office has identified the victims as 70-year-old David Sebastian of Opelousas and 66-year-old David Briley of Ville Platte.
Due to the extent of the damage, SFM deputies are still trying to determine the origin and cause of the fire. However, deputies do know that there were no working smoke detectors in the home and the occupants were all visiting for a weekend fishing trip.
“This is a sad outcome to what was supposed to be a great family bonding experience,” said Chief Adams, “But it reminds us that having a fire escape plan for any unfamiliar places you’re traveling is just as important as having one for your home,” said Chief Adams.
Fire escape plans include:
• Knowing two ways out of every room in a house
• Having a meeting place outside of the home to account for all occupants and to call 911
• Making sure there are working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors present
The SFM advises anyone who welcomes visitors to their home to have these life-saving devices in the home at all times. If you have smoke alarms in your home, make sure they are working today by confirming effective batteries by pressing the test button.
Operation Save-A-Life can help if you do not have smoke alarms in your home and need assistance getting them. To learn more about Operation Save-A-Life or to sign up for a free smoke alarm installation, visit lasfm.org or contact your local fire department to request a free smoke alarm installation.
