METAIRIE, La. (WGNO) — Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a fatal house fire in Metairie.
The fire happened around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 at a house on the corner of Airline Park Boulevard and West Metairie Avenue.
A neighbor says she smelled the smoke and witnessed firefighters initially struggling to gain access inside the home.
“You could hear the banging,” the woman said. “You could see that they weren’t really able to get full access to both sides of the house. So, at some point, they brought out a saw to try to get in.”
Once firefighters made their way inside the burning home, they located a body near the back of the house.
The neighbor says a man lived there by himself and described him as quiet but cordial.
“The only thing I can say I knew about him was that he was a male, maybe in his 50s, and he rode his bike every day,” the woman said.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said on Thursday investigators hadn’t ruled out foul play.
“I think it’s too early to tell,” Lopinto said. “Most times, fires don’t necessarily just start, and with a body being inside, we’re certainly going to look into that.”
Neighbors don’t want to speculate as the investigation plays out.
“We said a prayer, and you know, I don’t know what’s going on or why, or what really happened, or what the instances were, but I feel bad for him and his extended family,” the woman said.
As of Friday night, the coroner’s office had not released the victim’s identity.
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