Louisiana Man and Teen Die in March 18 Housefire Believed to be Caused by Unsafe Smoking Practices

Rapides Parish, Louisiana – A Louisiana man and teen died in a March 18 housefire that is believed to have been caused by unsafe smoking practices.

According to the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office (LASFM), deputies have completed their investigation into a house fire in Pineville, Louisiana that killed two individuals, including a teenager.

On Saturday, March 18, just before 2:30 a.m., the Pineville Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire in the 500 block of Grant Street. When firefighters arrived, they discovered four persons outside the house and two more inside. Tragically, the remains of the two inside were discovered in what was thought to be the stairwell and the living room, which was located beneath a second-floor bedroom that had collapsed into the living room.

While the Rapides Parish Coroner’s Office is still working on official identifications and causes of death, the deaths are thought to be a 54-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl.

Authorities discovered six individuals were inside the house at the time of the fire: a grandmother and her brother, her two adult sons, and two grandkids, one a 16-year-old girl and the other a 5-month-old boy.

After interviews with the survivors, authorities discovered that everyone in the house was asleep except for one person who arrived home late from work. After returning inside from smoking a cigarette, the man noticed the front porch was on fire. He informed deputies that he initially woke up his sleeping brother in the living room before attempting to put out the fire with water. He then walked upstairs to warn the other tenants, who included his mother and two young relatives sleeping in the same room. Deputies said the man pulled his mother out of a second-story bathroom window before tossing the baby to his brother below, who safely retrieved the infant. The group learned the teen and the grandmother’s brother were still inside after he had escaped via the second-story window.

At this point, deputies believe the fire started on the front porch and was caused by smoking near combustible goods. Also, the family reported utilizing the oven to heat the house overnight. While the oven is not thought to have started the fire, it is a dangerous home heating practice that the LASFM would like to advise Louisiana people not to employ when the weather turns chilly.

Additional home heating safety recommendations include:

• Place space heaters 3-5 feet from combustible objects like blankets and curtains
• Plug all heating appliances directly into wall outlets, not power strips or extension cords
• Do not use stoves, ovens, or grills to heat homes
• Don’t overfill fireplaces/wood-burning stoves
• Do not leave candles/open flames (or space heaters) left unattended

When it pertains to responsible smoking behaviors, the LASFM always recommends smoking outside and disposing of smoking materials in approved receptacles. Additionally, keep smoking materials, particularly spark-producing things like lighters, out of children’s reach.