Fire causes damage to three Des Allemands neighborhood homes

Two Des Allemands families lost their homes on Oct. 12 after a fire started in one dwelling and spread to the other.

A wood frame house and mobile home, located on 400 and 402 First Street, were engulfed in flames and fire fighters concentrated on putting the fire out on those two homes as quickly as possible. A third home was stained after ashes and smoke from the blaze damaged the exterior.

"The main house where the fire started was completely destroyed, but the mobile home sustained moderate to heavy damage," Des Allemands fire chief Jamie Cortez said.
One of the homes belonged to Bayou Gauche Asst. Fire Chief Cory Hogan, a volunteer fire fighter.

"It's always difficult putting out a fire when families' homes are destroyed, but it's especially difficult when the home belongs to one of our own," Cortez said. "We are glad that no one was injured or hurt."

Eyewitnesses told Cortez they saw flames coming from the north side of the wood-frame home where a bedroom was located.

"We have to rely on eyewitness accounts in this case because there's nothing else we really have to go on," Cortez said.  "As a volunteer fire fighter, you're not getting paid so this isn't a full time job, and a lot of our volunteers were at work when the fire happened."

Cortez says in the Bayou Gauche area there is a shortage of volunteer fire fighters so he's grateful for the support he got from the other volunteer fire fighters in the area.

"Des Allemands, Bayou Gauche, and Paradis helped put out the fire, and Luling, St. Rose and Norco volunteer firefighters came out to see what they could do to help," Cortez said.

After an investigation, the cause of the fire is unknown.

Cortez says the home was too damaged to allow the fire marshal to make a determination as to what caused the blaze.
 None of the fire fighters were injured trying to put out the blaze and no one was in either of the homes at the time of the fire.

"With it being so close to the holidays, we think it will be a good idea to do something as a community to assist these families," Cortez said.

The American Red Cross was notified to provide assistance to the families.

Cortez says the Bayou Gauche area is in need of volunteer fire fighters and wants to encourage interested residents to help out if they can.

"The fire happened during the day time and a lot of the volunteer fire fighters are working," he said.  "We were able to access other fire departments to support us, and usually we help each other out, but we do need residents willing to be volunteer fire fighters for the Bayou Gauche area."

For more information on how to become a volunteer fire fighter for the Bayou Gauche area contact 985-758-7766.