9-Year-Old Girl Killed in Pre-Dawn Lafayette Apartment Fire on Barracks Street
LAFAYETTE, La. — A 9-year-old girl is dead, and two adults are in the hospital after an apartment fire tore through a Lafayette four-plex in the 100 block of Barracks Street before dawn Sunday morning.
According to the Lafayette Fire Department, 911 calls started coming in at 3:52 a.m., with callers warning that someone might be trapped inside one of the apartments. Firefighters from Lafayette, Duson, Scott, and Judice rushed to the scene alongside Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies.
What First Responders Found on Barracks Street
When crews arrived, flames had already pushed from a single apartment up into the roof of the four-plex. The bulk of the fire centered on one unit. Crews from every responding department fought the flames for about 30 minutes before bringing them under control.
Once they knocked down the flames, search teams moved through the structure. They found the 9-year-old girl in an upstairs bedroom.
The girl’s mother and an adult male friend suffered injuries in the fire. Acadian Ambulance took both to a local hospital, where they remain in care.
Neighbors Tried to Reach the Child Before Crews Arrived
Witnesses told investigators the fire was coming from inside the apartment, and several neighbors tried to reach the girl before fire crews arrived. The flames were too intense, and they could not get in.
The four-plex housed four families, 13 people in all. Officials have not said whether the other residents were displaced.
Multiple Agencies Investigating Cause of Fatal Fire
Investigators from the Lafayette Fire Department, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Lafayette Parish Coroner’s Office are working the case together. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Officials have not released the names of the girl, her mother, or the adult male.
It’s the second fatal Lafayette fire in just over a week. KPEL News previously reported that one person died in a late-night house fire in the 100 block of Canal Street on April 26. That investigation is also still open.
What Lafayette Families Need to Know About Home Fire Safety
The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office says working smoke alarms give families the critical minutes they need to get out. Officials recommend a smoke alarm on every level of a home, inside every bedroom, and outside every sleeping area.
If you don’t have working smoke alarms, the State Fire Marshal’s Operation Save-A-Life program provides free smoke alarms to Louisiana residents who request them through their local fire department.
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Gallery Credit: BernadetteLee
