Lafayette, LA – At 3:53 p.m. on June 16, 2023, Lafayette firefighters responded to an apartment fire at Stonegate Apartment Homes at 301 Birch Drive. Firefighters entered the complex and noticed heavy smoke coming from an upstairs apartment. Emergency crews accessed the apartment. The fire was located in the kitchen. The fire was extinguished within 10 minutes. The apartment sustained major fire damage. There was minor smoke damage to the adjacent upstairs apartments. However, the unit below sustained smoke and water damage. The occupants in the unit of fire origin and below were displaced.
The occupants were not home at the time. The mother indicated that she was frying food in the kitchen before leaving. No injuries were reported.
Fire officials determined the fire originated on the range top. The fire started in one of the pots on the burners. The burner was apparently still on when the occupant left the apartment. The fire was ruled an accident.
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States.
Tips:
- Always stay in the kitchen when you are cooking.
- Keep anything that can catch on fire away from your stovetop.
- Use the lid to smother a fire and turn off the burner.
- Have a fire extinguisher nearby.
- Call 911 immediately.
The Lafayette Fire Department provided the information in this post.
