4 killed, including 3 children, in southern Louisiana house fire

Four people were killed and one person was injured in a house fire in southern Louisiana, according to state fire officials. Three of the victims were children.

The fire broke out around 1 a.m. on Thursday in the 100 block of Rodriguez Drive in Raceland, Lafourche Parish, according to the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal.

Firefighters discovered the bodies of four victims inside the home. While official identifications are pending, the victims are believed to be a 20-year-old woman, a 14-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl, and a 6-year-old boy.

A fifth occupant, a 46-year-old woman, was rescued and taken to a hospital. Her condition has not been released.

Deputies with the State Fire Marshal’s Office are working to determine the cause of the fire and whether the three smoke alarms in the home were operational. That information remains unconfirmed.

“Calls like these are what we dread in the fire service,” said DPS Principal Assistant Chief Bryan J. Adams. “We don’t know what might have made a difference to prevent this fire, but we know in any fire, smoke alarms can give families critical, extra time to escape.”

Officials are encouraging Louisiana residents to ensure their homes are equipped with working smoke alarms.