Late Tuesday night of last week, a house fire on Bill Simmons Road in Mount Hermon claimed the life of an 82-year old man.
The Mount Hermon Volunteer Fire Department (District 9) was called out to the fire. Enroute to the fire, firefighters were advised that an occupant was still in the home.
Upon arrival at the fire, firefighters were met by a badly burned family member who had tried to help the 82-year-old man out of the house.
Chief Jeremy Freeman of District 9 said the house was fully engulfed and burned almost to the ground when firefighters arrived. After the fire was brought under control, the body of the 82-year-old man was discovered. The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s office was called in to investigate.
Freeman said the fire apparently started because a space heater was placed close to a bed.
He noted that District 9 handles at least one fire per year that was caused by a space heater. He reminds residents to carefully check surrounding areas before using a space heater.
Freeman added, “And make sure your smoke detectors are in working order. They could save your life or the life of a loved one.”
He also expressed appreciation for the assistance of Districts 2 and 3 at the fire.
