Fire at Lafayette Duplex Leaves Two Families Homeless

A duplex in Lafayette caught on fire this morning, and Lafayette Fire Investigator and Spokesman Alton Trahan says, firefighters, battled the blaze for about fifteen minutes to put it out. They ended up staying on the scene for about three hours as a precaution. There were seven fire trucks and there twenty firefighters battling the fire.

So, what happened? Why did this duplex unit catch fire? Trahan says that he was told by the person that lives there explained a mattress ended up right next to a gas furnace. You can guess what happened next. The fire was started.

The fire happened at 137 Catherine Street at around 2:25 this morning. A neighbor call 911 after noticing that the home was on fire. They were also concerned about someone being inside one of the duplex units.

One person did suffer from some burns. According to Trahan, that victim received medical treatment from medics while on the scene and then was taken to a local hospital by a friend for further treatment.

A truck under a carport on one side of the duplex and that home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters got to the scene. The home is unlivable. The other side of the duplex has smoke and water damage.

The fire has been ruled accidental.

This week, we spoke to Trahan about safety reminders when it comes to fire. He pointed out that whether it's a furnace or a portable heater, it is imperative to keep anything flammable a minimum of three feet away from these heating devices. He recommends if you are using a space heater, to heat up the room, then turn it off.

Other things to keep in mind, clean your kitchen so that you don't have a grease fire. Also, make sure you have smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector.