Tag Archives: Louisiana

Apartment Building, Residential

Lafayette, LA – Early morning balcony fire at student apartment complex extinguished by sprinkler

The Lafayette Fire Department says they responded to a balcony fire on Thursday morning at The Quarters student apartment complex in Lafayette. Officials say a sprinkler alarm was activated around 2:30 am at the complex prompting the investigation. When firefighters arrived, complex residents were outside and several witnesses indicated the fire was on the balcony of a second-floor apartment.

Firefighters gained access to the apartment and conducted a search for occupants. Officials say those occupants all exited the apartment without injury. Light smoke was observed on the balcony and officials say that a sprinkler on the balcony had extinguished the fire. The area received moderate damage. A quick investigation by firefighters determined the fire started due to improperly discarded smoke material. The fire has been ruled accidental.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Baton Rouge, LA – Grease fire at restaurant extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Baton Rouge firefighters responded to a kitchen fire at the Walk On’s on Burbank.

The Fire department got the call around 6 p.m. Sunday night. Authorities immediately evacuated the restaurant luckily the sprinkler system put the fire out.

The fire was ignited by grease in the kitchen, damages were minimal and no injuries reported.

The restaurant says they aim to be back in business tomorrow pending inspection of suppression systems.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Baton Rouge, LA – Third-floor hotel fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Firefighters rescued an elderly woman from a fire and severe smoke in a hotel off South Shewood Forest Boulevard Tuesday morning, said St. George Fire Department spokesman Eldon Ledoux. 

The fire was reported just before 10 a.m. Tuesday on the third floor of the In Town Suites at 11616 Sherwood Forest Court, Ledoux said. The sprinkler system had activated and extinguished the fire, but smoke remained heavy. 

While firefighters worked to clear the smoke, they went around checking rooms to ensure everyone evacuated safely, Ledoux said. During the checks, firefighters found an elderly woman on the floor in distress from smoke inhalation, Ledoux said. She was transported to a hospital for treatment. 

Fire investigators determined the fire was an accident, starting in the area of a battery charger, Ledoux said. 

Apartment Building, Residential

Denham Springs, LA – Apartment fire caused by man trying to manufacture methamphetamine limited by single sprinkler

A Denham Springs man is in custody at the Livingston Parish Detention Center after an attempt to manufacture methamphetamine in his apartment caused a minor blast and forced temporary evacuation of the complex late Wednesday.  The microwave blast caused a small fire in the apartment, but a sprinkler head prevented the blaze from spreading.

Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputies and several other agencies were dispatched to the Parc Apartment Complex at the 31000 block of La. 16 around 3:30 p.m. following the blast and the discovery of “suspicious items.”  Deputies arrested Jeffrey Owens, 46, following the blast. The charges and the bond were not yet announced by the LPSO as of 10 p.m.

Detectives located items commonly used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine, along with suspected molotov cocktails, but no active explosive devices were found, Sheriff Jason Ard said.  “Our initial investigation revealed that the suspect placed propane and other items in his microwave,” he said. “Once turned on, the items exploded.”  Detectives suspect that the manufacturing of drugs was the root motive.

Owens fled from the scene before deputies arrived, but he was later located and arrested in Walker. No injuries were reported. First-responders ordered the evacuation as a precautionary measure to search the complex for explosives.  Authorities gave residents the clearance to return around 7:30 p.m.  Owens allegedly used over-the-counter sudafedrene for the meth. Owens put the fuel in the microwave along with a set of with lithium batteries, said Joe Koczrowski, fire chief for Livingston Parish Fire Protection District No. 5.

“He thought he knew how to make meth and didn’t have even have the right materials to make it,” he said. “He had the Coleman fuel, the ammonia, the propane … everything he needed, except that he had the wrong batteries and wrong Sudafed.”  A Hazmat unit, along with officials from the ATF and Office of the State Fire Marshal, were summoned to the scene.  Owens allegedly had previous mental health issues, Koczrowski said.  “He’s not a terrorist and was not affiliated with anyone … he just had mental issues,” he said.

Owens’s apartment was in squalor at the time authorities arrived, with garbage spread throughout the apartment and canine fecal matter in numerous spots around the dwelling, Koczrowski said.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Baton Rouge, LA – Mall fire extinguished with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Emergency officials responded to reports of the smell of smoke and a possible fire at the Mall of Louisiana around 7 p.m. Monday night.

An official with the St. George Fire Department says they discovered a small fire in the interior of a wall in Vivos, which set off a sprinkler, getting people’s attention. The fire department was able to put out the fire with a hand extinguisher and did not have to run a hose into the building. The fire reportedly started in the bathroom of the store.

A fire investigator is en route to determine the cause of the fire.

Sources report that areas of the mall were evacuated by mall security as a precaution. No injuries were reported. The all clear was given around 8 p.m. and patrons were allowed back inside.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Houma, LA – Nursing home fire caused by lightning strike controlled by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Several residents were evacuated Saturday night after lightning ignited a fire in a Houma nursing home, authorities said.  Around 5:45 p.m. lightning struck the Maison De’ville Nursing Home at 107 S. Hollywood Road, sparking a fire in the attic, Bayou Cane Fire Chief Ken Himel said. The flames then activated the building’s automatic sprinkler system, which helped crews bring the fire under control in about 20 minutes, Himel said. About half of the facility’s residents were evacuated during the incident while the remaining occupants were sheltered in place.  No injuries were reported.
“The sprinkler system did its job holding the fire in check until we arrived and the nursing home staff did a fantastic job evacuating and relocating residents,” Himel said. “A really bad situation was averted.”

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Marrero, LA – Fire at Walmart store controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Firefighters responded to a fire at the Walmart in Marrero this morning.  Chief Don Robertson of the Marrero Harvey Fire Department said his firefighters were on the scene within one minute of the alarm going out.  The store’s sprinkler system was already engaged, Robertson said, and the blaze was fully contained within four minutes.  Firefighters evacuated the building as a precaution.  The fire broke out in the “seasonal” section amid Halloween decorations.  No injuries have been reported.  The Walmart will be closed until further notice as the cleanup continues, Robertson said.

Government/Military, Prison / Jail

LaSalle Parish, LA – Arson fire set by inmate controlled by sprinkler system

The Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal has arrested a jail inmate for setting a cell mattress on fire.

Ulises Garrido-Zamudo, 21, was arrested on Monday, Sept. 17, on one count of Aggravated Arson. He was transferred from the detention center he was being held in at the time of the fire to the LaSalle Parish Jail for booking.

In the evening hours of Sunday, September 16, the Jena Fire Department contacted the LAOSFM to assist with determining the origin and cause of a fire in an isolation dorm unit at the LaSalle I.C.E. Processing Center located on Pine Hill Road in Jena.

Garrido-Zamudo had been in the isolation cell where the fire occurred due to discipline issues.

The fire alarm and sprinkler system alerted staff to the fire, however, investigators learned Garrido-Zamudo refused to exit the cell for staff to attempt further extinguishing efforts. He had to be taken to an area hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation as a result.

Following his release from the hospital, Garrido-Zamudo confessed to investigators in an interview that he set the fire due to being upset with a family situation and “the devil tells him what to do.”

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Eunice, LA – Sprinkler system activates to help control classroom fire at elementary school

Officials with the St. Landry Parish School Board have announced that Eunice Elementary will be closed tomorrow Wednesday, August 15 due to this morning’s fire.  The school board says that safety assessment procedures will be ongoing tomorrow at the school. All 12-month employees will be required to report to work and the principal will contact staff members to let them know when or if they should report to work on Wednesday.  The closure only affects Eunice Elementary. All other schools will report as normal tomorrow.

Officials say the cause of this morning’s fire at Eunice Elementary School is still under investigation. The fire caused the school to be closed on Tuesday to all students and teachers. The school board noted that all 12-month employees should report to work as usual today.  One custodian was in the school at the time of the fire and noticed flames coming from the classroom. That individual was able to exit the building safely.  One classroom and a majority of the supplies inside are a complete loss, according to Principal Mary Dupre.  Flooding caused by the sprinkler system has also damaged the building where the fire took place.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Baton Rouge, LA – Trash compactor fire at Golden Corral restaurant limited by sprinkler system

Investigators say something thrown into the garbage compactor at a Golden Corral sparked a trash fire around lunch Wednesday.  The Baton Rouge Fire Department responded to the call on Millerville Greens Boulevard just before 11 a.m. Wednesday. Firefighters say some trash was accidentally ignited after someone tossed an unknown item into the compactor.  BRFD says the fire was contained to the compactor itself, but a sprinkler did trigger just inside the rear entrance of the business.  Firefighters say the restaurant should be able to reopen soon.