61°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
Follow our weather team on social media

Firefighters install smoke detectors in Livingston Parish for free

Related Story

DENHAM SPRINGS - While some people might enjoy a free day off Tuesday from work and school, some know the cold weather brings dangerous and deadly problems. This is the third round of frigid weather this year. Each time, it’s left people dead.

Just this weekend, a 79-year-old woman died when her home burned to the ground in Livingston Parish. She didn't have a smoke detector. Firefighters are concerned it'll happen again.

"A lot of people are using space heaters, they're plugging them into extension cords,” said the Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 5 Chief Joe Koczrowski.

Koczrowski says this creates the potential for a house to light up in flames. There is something that can protect homeowners; smoke detectors.

“Most of the time the smoke is generated first, and the fire can be small and put out a lot of smoke,” said Koczrowski.

Since the flood in 2016, Laura Boudreaux's home has been smoke detector-less. She called the fire department, not just for her home, but for her 84-year-old mom's home to have the service installed.

"It means a lot because you know you're safe, you know that something will sound and wake you up if there is smoke or fire,” said Boudreaux.

"We're putting one in each bedroom, because the new thing they're teaching people is to sleep with the bedroom closed,” explained Koczrowksi. “If a fire starts in another part of the house, the door creates a barrier that will give you an additional period of time to get out."

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is providing the smoke detectors. Since the new year, District 5 has installed nearly 200 smoke detectors in people’s homes. To receive this service, call the Livingston Parish Fire Department at 225-664-1679 and enter extension 4.

News

Desktop News

Click to open Continuous News in a sidebar that updates in real-time.
Radar
7 Days