BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A family barely making it out alive, after flames engulfed this home on Lorraine St. Five people were displaced with nothing, but the clothes on their backs. One of the residents says the fire started in the common area of the home.
“I don’t know how you prevent something like that,” said Christopher Watts, one of the Loriane St. victims. “You’re just sleeping and then you wake up, somebody’s house is on fire. It was in the kitchen, we were renting the place, so sometimes things aren’t always up to par, so I guess it could be anything.”
As firefighters work to determine what sparked the flames, another fire is also under investigation. Officials say it was caused by an electrical issue.
“I started smelling something, I looked up the electrical heater was on fire, and I had some clothes hanging up, and then I caught the clothes,” said Christopher Raymond, the Georgia St. victim. “And then when I picked the couch up, the whole bottom of the couch was on fire I couldn’t get it out the house.”
Raymond was left with nothing, including his dog that died in the fire. The Baton Rouge Fire Department is now urging residents to take precautions as it gets colder outside.
“Heating systems, you need to have those inspected,” said Curt Monte Baton Rouge Fire Department’s PIO. “And of course, when it comes to using space heaters and things like that, you need to be really safe. Basically, follow all the manufacturer’s recommendations of that, that appliance that you had.”
