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Investigation into fatal Denham Springs fire reveals home did not have working smoke detector
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DENHAM SPRINGS — The Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal, investigating a Denham Springs house fire that left three people dead on Saturday, released a statement saying that the residence did not contain a working smoke detector.
The fire occurred around 6:20 a.m. on Wanda Avenue, taking the lives of James Garrett, 96, his great-granddaughter, 22-year-old Kirsten Vidrine, and her best friend, 20-year-old Danielle Ricard.
43-year-old David Vidrine escaped the fire but sustained injuries. On Monday, David Vidrine spoke to WBRZ after he was released from the hospital.
He said the fire started in the front of the home.
"I ran to the back to try and get everybody out," David Vidrine said. "I thought the girls were behind me; obviously, they weren't."
The Office of the State Fire Marshal said this year to date, nine people have died in seven different incidents it has investigated across the state. This is the first case investigated by the office in Livingston Parish this year.
"Everything I've ever worked for... and this is what I've got left out of it," David Vidrine said. "Why do bad things like this happen to good people?"
According to the office, while investigators do not yet know the cause of the fire, they have not ruled out the possibility of an electrical issue leading to the flames. Officials also shared that the home did not contain a working smoke detector.
"It is critical that the people of Louisiana understand how much of a difference smoke alarms can make when it comes to surviving a fire," said DPS Principal Assistant Chief Bryan J. Adams. "It’s not the flames that kill, it’s the smoke. Smoke alarms give families early warning of an emergency and valuable time to escape safely."
The family has created a GoFundMe to raise money for Kirsten Vidrine and Danielle Ricard's funerals.
The investigation is still ongoing.
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