LAFAYETTE, La. (NEWS 15) — A mother and daughter escaped with their lives as a fire engulfed their Lafayette home.
It happened in the 300 block of Jeanette Street on Monday, January 13. The fire started under the carport while a mother and daughter were inside the home. Thanks to a neighbor, the two made it out alive, but now are left with nothing.
The blaze erupted moments after a mother and daughter cooked dinner. The home is destroyed but the two were lucky to get out alive.
The mother said she smelled something burnt when she got home from work. However, the odor was not coming from inside the home. About 40 minutes later, she and her daughter were running for their lives, but thanks to a neighbor, they were able to safely get out of the house and away from the flames.
"So, I looked out the window, and I noticed there was a fire,” said Hayden Whatley, a neighbor. “So, I told my mom and my mom and my stepdad just ran outside and my stepdad started banging on their car and yelling for them to get outside. I'm not sure what time it was, but we thankfully noticed fast enough to get them outside and their dog and help them out their fence."
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LAFAYETTE, La. (NEWS 15) — A massive house fire in Lafayette sent smoke billowing and flames shooting into the night sky above the Hub City. Firefighters responded in force to battle the inferno and try to keep it from spreading in the neighborhood. The house fire broke out in the 300 block of Jeanette Street. The residential neighborhood is located just off Eraste Landry Road and Bertrand Drive. The only thing cutting through the thick smoke was the flashing lights of dozens of police and fire vehicles at the scene.
Fire officials said the cause has not been determined but investigators are honing in on the problem.
"Our concerns right now, primarily, would be looking at extension cords,” noted Alton Trahan with the Lafayette Fire Department. “We've been looking at them and where they ran under the car porch and just to see if they had anything plugged up."
Since the blaze, family members have been left to pick up the little remains of what's left of the home. Michelle Douet, the homeowner’s daughter, said they have no clue what's next and now have nothing left.
"Yeah, that's all that's left, the back bedroom,” explained Douet. “We had photo albums stuffed in a drawer and that's basically all that got saved was stuff that was in drawers."
The family is in the process of setting up a GoFundMe for their mother and sister who lost everything. A link will be provided when it becomes available.
