Morgan City man arrested in Vermilion fire investigation

A Morgan City man has been accused of negligent arson after a fire that damaged a Vermilion Parish motel, the State Fire Marshal’s Office said.
Lawrence Levine, 36, was booked into the Vermilion Parish Prison on Friday on one count of negligent arson.
Around 3:30 p.m. Oct. 14, the Abbeville Fire Department responded to a fire at the Motel 6 located in the 3500 block of Veterans Memorial Drive in Abbeville. After the preliminary investigation, the Abbeville department forwarded the case to the fire marshal for further investigation.
Deputies determined the fire started when Levine dumped hot coals from a barbeque grill into a plastic garbage can, along with paper from the charcoal bag and an empty lighter fluid bottle. These ignited and resulted in considerable fire and water damage to the motel.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire, the fire marshal said.
State Fire Marshal Chief Bryan J Adams would like to remind everyone barbeque charcoals can be extremely dangerous and cause fires if not properly handled. Never leave a grill unattended, and dispose of hot coals properly by soaking them with water and stirring to ensure they are out. Once completely cool, place in a metal trash can.
As a reminder, if you have information about any fire-related crime, you can share that information with the SFM by calling our Arson Hotline at 1-844-954-1221 or by submitting an online tip form, which can be located at lasfm.org. All information can be shared anonymously.