Fire kills couple, ages 77 and 78; space heater may be cause

DELHI, La. (AP) — A space heater may have touched off a blaze that killed a Louisiana couple in their 70s, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office said Friday.

Bodies believed to be those of the 77-year-old woman and 78-year-old man who owned the house in Delhi were found in separate bedrooms early Wednesday, a news release said.

State Fire Marshal Dan Wallis says it’s alarming that the fire occurred so soon after nighttime temperatures dropped even a bit.

Early-morning lows in nearby Monroe fell from 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16.1 degrees Celsius) on Monday to 57 degrees Fahrenheit (13.9 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to National Weather Service data from nearby Monroe.

The Richland Parish Coroner’s Office will make official identifications and determine the causes of death.

The fire’s precise cause is still undetermined, with possibilities including a space heater or a separate electrical malfunction.

“We all have to make it our mission as we head into the fall and winter seasons to commit to being more aware of the fire dangers in our homes, especially as it relates to heating,” Wallis said.