A 9-year-old girl was killed early Sunday when fire swept through a four-plex apartment building on Barracks Street in Lafayette. The blaze broke out before 4 a.m. at Jace Place Townhomes, and neighbors who tried to reach the child could not get inside because of the flames.
Several 911 calls came in as the fire spread, including reports that one person may have been trapped inside. Neighbors made their own rush toward the apartment to try to rescue the girl, but the fire blocked the way. After about 30 minutes of firefighting, crews got the blaze under control and later found the child in an upstairs bedroom.
The girl’s mother and one other adult man were taken to a local hospital for injuries from the fire. Several agencies responded, including the Lafayette Fire Department, Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department, Duson Fire, Scott Fire and Judice Fire, underscoring how quickly the scene drew a wide emergency response in the dark hours before sunrise.
The fire left behind more questions than answers. Investigators have not determined what started it, and the loss of a child after neighbors tried and failed to reach her gives the case a stark urgency that will not be eased until investigators can explain how the flames took hold and why the girl could not be saved.