Lafayette Duplex Fire on Saturday Afternoon Leaves Two Families Out of Home

The Lafayette Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 300 block of South Pierce Street on Saturday afternoon at 5:12 pm. Thankfully, everyone exited safely.

The home, which was converted into a duplex, was occupied by two families -- a family of five on one side and one person on the other. The fire was reported by an occupant in the family of five side.

When an adult male was exiting the home, he noticed through the windows that the other unit was on fire. The occupant of the unit that was on fire was not home.

The adult male then alerted his friends and everyone exited safely.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, flames were coming from a living room window. Crews entered the burning home and were able to extinguish the fire within 15 minutes.

The unit where the fire started sustained heavy fire damage. The other unit suffered smoke and water damage.

Neither units were able to be occupied after the fire. As such, the Red Cross was contacted to assist the residents.

Fire officials determined that the fire started on the sofa in the living room. An improperly discarded cigarette is the likely cause of the fire.