By Jeff Adelson
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
LACOMBE, La. — A fire believed to be triggered by a generator severely damaged a house on South Pontchartrain Drive in Lacombe on Tuesday morning, leaving three residents homeless.
The home, which does not appear to have an official address, sustained serious fire damage in its front hall and smoke and water damage throughout most of the other rooms, 3rd Fire Protection District Chief Charles Flynn said.
Ashley Snipes, who lived in the house with her boyfriend and his roommate, said she was alone in the house and asleep when she smelled smoke about 10 a.m. Snipes, 20, said she initially did not pay much attention to the smoke since there are often brushfires in the nearby Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.
However, she said she soon realized the smoke smelled odd and ran out of the house.
Firefighters arrived soon after and quickly doused the fire, Flynn said.
"I wasn't going to take any chances," Snipes said. "Thank God I got out of there."
The fire appears to have started in the house's front hall, where a generator burst into flames that burned through the sheet rock of the home, Flynn said. Fire officials were also concerned by the large number of wires and extension cords spread throughout the home, creating what Flynn called an "electrical nightmare," but officials do not believe they were responsible for the blaze.
The 600-square-foot home and at least one other nearby were connected to another house for power, which caused difficulties for firefighters as they tried to shut down electricity to the house, Flynn said. All the houses on the property appear to be rentals, he said.
In addition to its electrical issues, the home's unusual construction created challenges for firefighters. The home was built around a travel trailer, which formed the rear of the home and contained its kitchen, Flynn said. The presence of two roofs of differing heights within the same structure made it more difficult for firefighters to douse "hot spots" in the home, he said.
Copyright 2008 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
