Marshal: New Iberia Fire, Explosion Started in Mobile Home
The fire which sparked a gas explosion that injured three New Iberia firefighters started in a mobile home.
The State Fire Marshal's Office says that mobile home on South Hopkins Street near Dale Street was being used as a business office. Investigators say the fire started in the back side of that building. The exact cause of that fire remains under investigation.
The gas explosion happened while firefighters were trying to put out the initial blaze. Fire marshal's investigators say excess natural gas was a contributing factor to that explosion. However, they still have not determined the exact cause of the blast or what ignited it.
The three firefighters are in three different hospitals. Iberia Parish School Board member Raymond "Shoe-Do" Lewis says his son was one of the firefighters involved. Lewis says his son is in a Baton Rouge hospital with second- and third-degree burns. Another firefighter is in a Lafayette hospital recovering from his injuries. The location and condition of the third firefighter is not yet known.
“We are keeping these firefighters, their families, and the New Iberia Fire Department in our prayers,” State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said in a statement. “Our folks are working diligently with all involved agencies to determine as much information as possible about what happened so we can try to prevent a terrible situation like this from happening again.”