HOUMA, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for intentionally burning down a house in 2019.

Deondre Brown, 31, of Houma, pleaded guilty earlier this week to two counts of simple arson and one count of falsely communicating a planned arson, prosecutors said. State District Judge David Arceneaux ordered Brown to serve five years on each count of simple arson and 10 years on the third charge. Each sentence will run consecutively, The Courier reported.

Brown’s conviction resulted from a fire that occurred Nov. 5, 2019 in a Houma neighborhood. Deputies and the Houma Fire Department were called about 5:30 a.m. to a house fire in the Ashland North subdivision, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

With help from the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, investigators determined the blaze had been set intentionally, the sheriff’s office said.

Though no injuries were reported, the fire destroyed the home, leaving a family homeless, authorities said.

Following an investigation, detectives developed Brown as a suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest.

“Despite the difficult situation prosecutors find ourselves in with facing this pandemic, (District Attorney Joe Waitz Jr.) and our office remain committed to doing our best to keep the public safe from dangerous individuals like Deondre Brown,” said Terrebonne Parish Assistant District Attorney Amanda Mustin, who prosecuted the case. “Deondre Brown was already on parole when he deliberately set a house in Ashland North on fire, which resulted in the damage of two other homes as well. It was imperative that we remove him from society so as to protect the public from further harm.”

Brown’s conviction will help provide closure for the victims, Mustin added.

“The victims are still trying to recover from their loss but at least they now have the satisfaction that Deondre Brown has accepted responsibility for his actions and will not be free to cause such harm again for some time,” she said.

Brown’s attorney, Cheleste Gottschalk of Houma, could not be reached for comment.