Washington Parish, Louisiana - The cause of a fire at a Louisiana fire station over the weekend has been determined by State Fire Marshal (SFM) deputies to have been caused by an electrical malfunction.

On Friday, November 24, someone passing by a Washington Parish fire station reported smoke coming from the fire station located in the 21000 block of Highway 21 South between Bogalusa, Louisiana and Varnado, Louisiana, just after 9:30 a.m. Volunteers from Washington Parish Fire District 6 responded to the call at their Station 2 and found fire and smoke in the bay. The fire resulted in major damage to one response vehicle and minor damage to another.

The Louisiana SFM was called in to investigate and identified evidence of an electrical malfunction within the building's electrical panel and in the connection between the outlet and the truck that was being charged at the time of the fire.

While there hasn't been a determination of the exact contributing factor leading to this malfunction, SFM stated that there doesn't appear to be any fault on behalf of the fire station staff regarding their routine maintenance and charging requirements for their equipment.

This incident serves as a reminder that even when following all protocols, unforeseen events can still occur. It is crucial to ensure that your home is equipped with a functional smoke alarm in order to promptly notify you and your family of a fire emergency, enabling a safe escape.