Slidell house fire: The fire killed four people, including two children in the Eden Isles subdivision in Slidell. And St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 is investigating a fatal house fire in Slidell.
The children were ages 5 and 10, according to officials on the scene.
“We ask you to please pray for the victims and their family members,” the fire department said in a statement on social media.
Firefighters say the fire has been extinguished and remains under investigation with the State Fire Marshal’s office and the sheriff’s office.
Fire officials say they believe the fire was accidental, but are not releasing how the fire started at this time. [Read Also: Who is Brianna Kupfer? UCLA grad student Death, Age, Wiki, and more]
According to the fire department, a neighbor called and reported the fire early Wednesday morning. The neighbor reported that the home may have four to five family members inside.
According to fire officials on scene, the home only had one smoke detector, and it was not working.
A total of 16 units and 44 firefighters responded to the scene. Four of the family members were removed from the home, and three were taken to area hospitals. One family member was not at the home at the time of the fire.
“It was tough on our firefighters pulling the victims now, but they did everything they could to give this family a chance,” said St. Tammany Fire Chief Chris Kaufmann.
Kaufmann said resources will be available to the firefighters who responded to the scene to cope with the tragedy.
The St. Tammany Coroner says the cause of death will likely be smoke inhalation, and there was no evidence of thermal injury.
The fire started at the back of the house and made its way to the attic, according to the fire department.
All officials on scene stressed the importance of purchasing smoke detectors and making sure to check them routinely to make sure they are working.
According to Kaufmann, the house was built in the ’80s during a time when smoke detectors were not required in every room.
Fire officials recommend a smoke detector inside every room, outside every room, and on each floor of a home.
