Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana State Fire Marshal Chief Bryan J Adams urges citizens to be aware of and proactive about addressing home fire hazards after six lives were lost overnight Tuesday in three different house fires across the state.

Just after 4 a.m., the Winnsboro Fire Department responded to the 200 block of Willow Street for a house fire where four victims, including children, were tragically discovered.

Less than an hour later, firefighters were called to the 800 block of E Oak Street in Abbeville for a house fire where one victim has been sadly confirmed.

Then around 7 a.m., the Shreveport Fire Department responded to a call in the 5200 block of Norton Street where one victim was unfortunately found inside.

While the investigations into what caused these fires are still early and ongoing, the frigid forecast across the state is being considered as a potential factor in all of them.

“It has been a truly devastating past few hours, especially after multiple warnings about the increased risk of home fires when temperatures drop and, of course, our constant message about the life-saving difference smoke alarms make,” said Adams.

These concerning deaths follow three others that have occurred since the start of the year in Church Point (Jan. 2), Abbeville (Jan. 2) and New Orleans (Jan. 4), each resulting in one life lost. The investigations into those causes are ongoing as well.

“Louisiana, we have to take all fire dangers seriously and act as if it can happen to every one of us, at any time, because it can,” said Adams.

With extended freezes expected throughout the state for the remainder of the week, the SFM is stressing the following home heating safety tips:

• If using a space heater, make sure it’s placed 3-5 feet away from objects that can catch fire easily like blankets and furniture.
• Ensure space heaters are plugged directly into a wall outlet as opposed to an extension cord or power strip.
• Space heaters should also always be turned off when you’re going to sleep or leaving the room and/or home.
• Do not use ovens or stoves to heat your home
• Make sure any open flames, like fireplaces and candles, are never left unattended.
• Have a working smoke alarm!

Chief Adams wants to remind Louisiana residents that smoke alarms are a critical, life-saving device for every family to have. If you need assistance obtaining smoke alarms for your home, Operation Save-A-Life can help especially following the large influx of alarms to the program as part of a historic donation from Lowe’s and First Alert last month.

To learn more about Operation Save-A-Life, or to register for a free smoke alarm installation, visit our website at lasfm.org or contact your local fire department to request a free smoke alarm installation.