FRANKLINTON, La. (WGNO) — The State Fire Marshal’s Office confirms a body was found inside a home following a house fire in Franklinton Thursday night.
Initially, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office reported the fire around 8:00 Thursday night, August 17. In a social media post, the department reported that the house fire, “…quickly got out of control,” and “There may be a potential victim in the house.”
The Fire Marshal’s Office also reported that someone was unaccounted for. A couple hours later, it reported that a body had been located inside the burned home.
On Friday, officials with the Louisiana State Fire Marshal Office said it’s believed that the victim was the 72-year-old homeowner who had mobility challenges.
According to deputies, the fire began outside of the home then spread to it. Though deputies said there was evidence of several burn piles outside of the home, they’re unable to determine if any were active at the time of the fire.
In Washington Parish, the fire was the second of the evening for firefighters there. The other fire was in Angie, and the sheriff’s office reports that it issued a summons to someone who was believed to have been involved.
The fires come as Louisiana is under a statewide burn ban. Also, last week in Washington Parish, firefighters battled a large wildfire.
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