Lafayette Fire Investigators Continue Arson Investigations

The Lafayette Fire Department reports they are continuing to investigate the eight separate house fires that happened in June.

Fire department spokesman Alton Trahan says each of the fires involved vacant homes.

He says of the eight arsons that happened, four possibly could be related based on where each of the fires started.

Trahan says the fires on South Magnolia, Jefferson, Garfiled and North Pierce all started on the outside of each house, and in each of those cases, an accelerant was used.

Investigators are also working to determine if some of the fires could have been started by vagrants or a copycat, as the houses on South Magnolia and the Northwest Evangeline Thruway were often occupied by homeless individuals.

While investigators have done multiple interviews, they are asking anyone with information to call the Lafayette Fire Department or the Crime Stoppers line at 232-TIPS.