The State Fire Marshall's office says a homeless man died in a blaze that destroyed a vacant house on the Westbank this weekend.
Fire Marshall Butch Browning says the Nine Mile Point Volunteer Fire Dept. responded to the fire at a vacant residential home located at 844 Hooter Road just before 11:00pm Friday night.
Firefighters found the body of an unidentified man in the home.
Officials report the temperature was 27 degrees at the time, and they believe the homeless man had lit a fire within the home to try to keep warm.
Another fire death related to the cold weather happened over the weekend in Shreveport.
According to Browning, a 49-year-old man died in a trailer fire in Shreveport, after the man used a propane cooking burner for heat.
Officials believe the fire from the cooking appliance ignited combustible materials, which spread and fully destroyed the mobile home.
In a press release about the fires, Browning reminded all Louisiana residents that as yet another night of freezing conditions are in store, families should take the opportunity to check their smoke detectors.
"If your home does not have a working smoke detector, your family has less than a 40% chance of waking up in a fire," Browning said.
"Only use approved heating devices. Space Heaters should be placed where a 3 foot clearance can be maintained, We need to take the proper steps to prevent any more deaths and fires, these tragedies can be prevented."
Within the same six-hour span as the fires in Westwego and Shreveport, a house fire in Denham Springs also took the life of a man. The cause of that fire is under investigation.
Browning also reported that an Opelusas woman and her two children died overnight in a fire that destroyed their home.
According to Browning, there were no functioning smoke detectors in that Opelusas home.
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