Three children died in a mobile home fire in Louisiana on the day of Christmas.<\/p>\n
Louisiana fire officials say a mobile home fire in Houma that killed three children and left their father with serious arm burns might be linked to the use of a space heater and candles during Christmas Eve’s chilly weather.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n State Fire Marshal’s Office spokesman Mike Delaune said that a 13-year-old girl, a 12-year-old boy and an 11-year old boy died in the fire at the Whispering Oaks Trailer Park.<\/p>\n Houma Fire Inspector Mike Millet says the trailer was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived after 2:30 a.m. Wednesday.<\/p>\n He says the children’s father rescued one child, but was unable to get the other three because the fire spread so quickly. His burns resulted from his rescue attempt.<\/p>\n “The fire was so quick, he just couldn’t get to them,” Millet said.<\/p>\n A news release issued by the Fire Marshal’s Office, said that when firefighters arrived, the two-bedroom trailer was engulfed in flames.<\/p>\n “After extinguishing the blaze, the bodies of the three victims were located,” said the release. “All of the surviving occupants, some of which suffered moderate to severe injuries, were transported to a nearby medical facility for care.”<\/p>\n Seven of the trailer occupants, including the parents of the dead children and five other children, were transferred to Baton Rouge General Hospital for treatment, the news release said.<\/p>\n “Investigators have determined the fire originated in the combination living room\/kitchen area of the single-wide mobile home where four of the children had been sleeping at the time of the fire,” the news release said. “Investigators are examining several possible causes for the fire, including space heaters and candles, which were reported as being in use throughout the home.”<\/p>\n The parents of the dead children told investigators they were alerted to the fire by smoke entering the adjoining bedroom where they were sleeping, through a space at the bottom of the door. There were no working smoke alarms in the home, the investigators said.<\/p>\n “The father was able to enter the living room, get to one child and evacuate to the outside,” said the news release. “The rapidly developing fire did not allow him to return. His wife and another child were forced to evacuate through the bedroom window.<\/p>\n “Other family members who had been sleeping in a bedroom on the opposite end of the mobile home were able to escape through a back door,” the release said.<\/p>\n The fire is being investigated by the Fire Marshal’s office and investigators from the Houma Police Department, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Houma and Coteau fire departments.<\/p>\n The Courier of Houma reported the fire was called in by neighbors about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.<\/p>\n The fire also destroyed two cars and a shed and a neighboring trailer suffered heat damage.<\/p>\n Authorities have not released the names of any of the occupants.<\/p>\n The Fire Marshal’s Office reminded residents needing assistance in the purchase or installation of smoke alarms that assistance is available through the agency’s web site, lasfm.org. Clicking on “Operation Save A Life” leads to an application for a free smoke detector and installation assistance, which can be submitted online. nola.com<\/em><\/p>\n ISH\/ISH<\/p>\n<\/div>\n