How can Louisiana residents protect themselves, plants from cold weather?

METAIRIE, La. (WGNO) — Firefighters in Washington Parish responded to a house fire on Bill Simmons Road near the Louisiana-Mississippi state line around 11 p.m. Tuesday.

One person survived the fire, and another was found dead inside the home.

“The investigation is still very much ongoing into the cause, but we definitely want to talk about the fact that certainly it is cold, and we know there are some rumblings going on about some really cold temperature probably coming next week. So, we want to make sure that everyone prioritizes home heating safety,” said Public Affairs Director for the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s Office Ashley Rodrigue.

When heating your home, if you’re using a space heater, keep it three to five feet from anything that could catch fire, and don’t plug it into a power strip.

“We don’t want anyone putting space heaters connected to anything other than directly in the wall outlet,” Rodrigue said. “Those do put off a lot of energy, and so, they need a lot of energy, and it needs to come straight from the wall.”

Rodrigue also stressed the importance of a working smoke alarm.

Through the Operation Save-A-Life program, you can obtain free installation by calling your local fire department.

Once you’ve ensured your safety, it’s time to protect those plants.

“Make sure your plants are nicely watered and hydrated going into the cold,” explained Tucker Bantom, the general manager at Perino’s Home & Garden Center. “I know we will expect some rain, but make sure that that’s all taken care of prior to you having to cover them.”

Bantom says some plants are more susceptible to the cold than others, like tropical plants.

“Cover them to the ground. No plastic. You cannot use plastic,” said Bantom. “Plastic will burn the foliage. It has to be a cloth or a blanket, and then, in extreme cold, you put plastic over top of that, but plastic cannot hit the plants.”

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