St. Mary Parish, Louisiana - Deputies from the State Fire Marshal's office are currently conducting an investigation into a recent house fire that resulted in the unfortunate death of an elderly man with disabilities. Additionally, a mother and her two sons sustained injuries during this incident.

At around 4 a.m. on Monday, November 6, the Baldwin Fire Department received a request for assistance regarding a residential fire in the 400 block of East Bollard Street. Firefighters promptly arrived at the scene to find the house engulfed in flames, with a neighboring mobile home also starting to catch fire.

It was discovered that there were four individuals in the house during the fire and five individuals in the mobile home, which included some children. Thankfully, the people in the mobile home were able to get out without any harm. However, out of the four people in the house, including a mother and her two sons, three of them sustained injuries and had to be briefly hospitalized. Unfortunately, the disabled man, who was the fourth occupant, was later found dead in a bedroom despite his daughter's attempts to rescue him.

The parish Coroner's Office is still waiting for official identification and cause of death, but currently, it is believed that the victim was the homeowner, who was 83 years old.

After evaluating the scene, the officers have determined that the center of the house is the most probable location where the fire started. Although the investigation is ongoing to determine the definitive cause of the fire, the officers have not dismissed the possibility that an electrical malfunction could have played a role in causing the fire.

SFM indicated that one of the main reasons home fires result in tragedy is due to various fire hazards. However, one of the most frequent and potentially deadly causes of house fires, electrical malfunction, can be prevented by hiring a licensed electrician to examine and fix any worrisome electrical issues.

The deputies also couldn't find functioning smoke alarms in the house. The SFM wants to emphasize to all Louisiana residents that smoke alarms are crucial for survival in a fire emergency. If you need help getting smoke alarms for your home, Operation Save-A-Life is available to assist you. To find out more about Operation Save-A-Life or to sign up for a free smoke alarm, go to our website at lasfm.org or reach out to your local fire department for a complimentary smoke alarm installation.