OPELOUSAS, La. -- A fire Saturday in an Opelousas home killed everyone inside, including two young children.
State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said the fire happened at 710 S. Academy St. around 5:45 Saturday.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find more than half the home on fire, Browning said. They entered the home and rescued the three victims -- 23-year-old Brittney Sion, 3-year-old Trimirron Stelly and 2-year-old Analya Sion -- and tried to resuscitate them.
Browning said all three were transported to Opelousas General Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The victims suffered injuries from burns and smoke.
The fire appears to be accidental, Browning said, though there is an investigation underway to determine the exact cause of the fire. There were no smoke detectors inside the home.
"If your home does not have a working smoke detector, your family has less than a 40 percent chance of waking up in a fire” Browning said. “Only use approved heating devices. Space heaters should be placed where a 3-foot clearance can be maintained. We need to take the proper steps to prevent any more deaths and fires, [so] these tragedies can be prevented."
