65-Year-Old Woman Saved by Neighbor in Lafayette House Fire

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) - Lafayette firefighters responded to a house fire that could have claimed an elderly woman's life, if not for the actions of an alert neighbor.

Firefighters responded to a call around 3:23 p.m. Thursday afternoon after neighbors reported seeing smoke coming from a roof on Frank Street in Lafayette. The home was occupied by two sisters, both of whom are over 60 years old, according to reports.

One of the sisters was in the kitchen of the home when she noticed smoke coming from her bedroom. She called out to her sister, who was in her own bedroom at the time, before heading out of the house. But a neighbor across the street noticed the smoke and that the second woman was not outside. He asked where she was and subsequently broke a window into the bedroom and helped the woman get outside.

She later said the smoke and flames made it difficult to leave the room, and she and the good Samaritan sustained only minor cuts from the rescue.

Firefighters were on scene within minutes of the call and got the fire under control in fifteen minutes. The house sustained heavy fire damage.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Lafayette firefighters have determined that it started in the rear bedroom of the home. Everything in that bedroom was destroyed in the fire.