State Fire Marshal deputies continue investigating a house fire in Washington that claimed the life of a male resident.
Just before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 18, St. Landry Fire District #3 responded to a report of a house fire located in the 600 block of Pointe Verde in Washington. Unfortunately, firefighters later located a male victim in a bedroom being utilized for storage.
While identification and cause of death are pending an autopsy by the St. Landry Parish Coroner’s Office, the victim is believed to be the 64-year-old, disabled tenant of the home.
After an assessment of the scene, SFM deputies have been able to determine the fire began in the living room/kitchen area of the home which was located on the opposite end of the home from where the victim was located. The home being almost 100 years old, and the quality of the home due to that age, has made this investigation difficult when it comes to determining an official cause of this fire, however, deputies have been unable to rule out the possibility of an electrical malfunction as a contributing factor.
So far in 2023, half of the fatal fires deputies have investigated have involved disabled victims and all of the fatal fires have been in structures without working smoke alarms.
The SFM is asking Louisianans who know of relatives, loved ones, or even neighbors who are challenged with a disability to reach out to those individuals to offer assistance in developing an escape plan that’s accommodating to that person’s needs. That plan should include not only knowing two ways out of every room but also ensuring those ways out are accessible and operational. Local fire departments can also assist with assessing a home for potential fire hazards and coming up with a specialized escape plan.
A key of that fire emergency preparation is having working smoke alarms which are proven to be the difference
between life and death in a fire emergency. The SFM’s Operation Save-A-Life partners with local fire departments to install smoke alarms for free for families that need them most. To learn more about the program and register for a smoke alarm, visit lasfm.org. You can also contact your local fire department to request a smoke alarm installation.
