BIENVILLE PARISH- State Fire Marshal deputies continue investigating a mobile home fire in Ringgold that claimed the life of a female resident.
Around 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, January 14, Bienville Parish Fire Districts #4 and #5 responded to a report of a mobile home fire located in the 2100 block of Washington Street in Ringgold. Unfortunately, firefighters later located a female victim in the remains of the home.
While identification and cause of death are pending an autopsy by the Bienville Parish Coroner’s Office, the victim is believed to be the 44-year-old tenant of the mobile home.
After an assessment of the scene and collecting witness statements, SFM deputies determined the fire began in the kitchen area of the home. While the exact cause of this fire remains undetermined at this time, deputies are unable to rule out the victim’s common practice of heating the home by running her electric stove burners and oven as a potential contributing factor to this fire.
The SFM urges Louisianans to practice safe home heating practices in the following ways:
• Place space heaters 3-5 feet from combustible objects like blankets and curtains
• Plug all heating appliances directly into wall outlets, not power strips or extension cords
• Do not use stoves, ovens, or grills to heat homes
• Don’t overfill fireplaces/wood-burning stove
• Do not leave candles/open flames (or space heaters) left unattended
If you know of a relative, friend or loved one that engages in unsafe heating practices, please help us share these tips with them and develop a safer way for them to keep warm.
In addition, deputies were unable to confirm the presence of working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are proven to be the difference between life and death in a fire emergency. The SFM’s Operation Save-A-Life partners with local fire departments to install smoke alarms for free for families that need them most. To learn more about the program and register for a smoke alarm, visit lasfm.org. You can also contact your local fire department to request a smoke alarm installation.