State fire marshal urging everyone to check their smoke alarms

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - A tragedy in Opelousas Wednesday morning makes for three fire fatalities in Louisiana in the new year: prompting the State Fire Marshal to encourage everyone to check their smoke alarms and be prepared for the worst.

The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office recently received a grant from FEMA to support its “Operation Save-A-Life” program. The grant helped provide the state’s program with over 15,000 smoke alarms.

“Smoke alarms are critical to getting people out of homes quickly and without being harmed,” Ashley Rodrigue with the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office said. “And that’s because those sensors can pick up on the particles of smoke much quicker than our noses, our eyes can do.”

“Operation Save-A-Life” allows the state and partnering fire departments to install fire alarms in homes for free.

“Do not go to bed tonight without a smoke alarm watching over you and your family. Give us a call today. Go to our website lasfm.org or call your local fire department or if you can, head out to a store, buy a smoke alarm today,” Rodrigue said.

She adds that having a smoke alarm becomes even more important during cold weather months when the danger of home fires increases.

“You know, we are on the fifth day of the year. We are already at three fire fatalities. We’ve only had two days of really cold weather,” Rodrigue said. “Do not let your family be the next one that we’re talking about to try to help others learn from.”

The State Fire Marshal urges everyone to have working smoke alarms as well as carbon monoxide detectors in their homes.