(Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correctly list the address of the house fire.) 

LAPLACE — A family displaced by a June 9 structure fire at 436 Grand Coulee in LaPlace is safe and receiving shelter from nearby relatives, according to St. John Parish Office of Fire Services.

The family, which contains at least two adults, was out of town at the time of the fire and later declined assistance from Red Cross, Chief of Operations Cain Dufrene said.

According to Dufrene, the afternoon fire overtook the entire roof and ceiling of the single-family residence, leaving the structure uninhabitable.

“The damage was significant,” Dufrene said. “Fire was through the roof when the first fire unit arrived. Fire crews used a lot of water to extinguish the fire. The insurance company and residents will have to determine the exact amount of loss.”

The fire appears to have started from a storage room. While the cause is undetermined, the investigation did not indicate any signs of foul play and was ruled unintentional, according to Dufrene.

Fire Services was notified of the fire at approximately 1:30 p.m. and informed that the residents were out of town.

Seeing the state of the roof upon arrival, personnel made a call for additional manpower to mount a defensive exterior attack on the fire.

Eleven firefighters used three engines to douse the exterior of the home before entering the structure to finish extinguishing the blaze. A hose line was pulled to protect two vehicles under the carport.

Dufrene said the response was straightforward, without challenges or setbacks, and personnel cleared the scene in four hours.

After overhaul was complete, a homeowner arrived and declined further assistance.