City fire crews are dispatched to Gibson St. house fire Friday morning.
One fatality is confirmed after the City of Natchitoches Fire Department is dispatched to a structure fire in the 400 block of Gibson St. at 7:41 a.m. Friday, April 6. Engines 1 and 3, Rescue 1, Truck 1, C2, C3 and C4 arrived on scene to find a one- story wood frame structure involved with smoke and fire. Following an interior attack on the structure and a search, fire crews found one dead inside. The name has not been released. The cause fire is under investigation. Fire chief John Wynn said smoke alarms save lives and offered the following advise. Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. Fire spreads fast—working smoke alarms give you early warning so you can get outside quickly. * Roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. * More than one-third (38 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present. * The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms. Source: NFPA Research
Safety Tips * Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each separate sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home. Install alarms in the basement. * It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms so that when one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound. * Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working. * A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire. * Working smoke alarms are an important part of a home fire escape plan.