Eleven people escape major fire

A Morgan City home sustained major damage in an early Sunday morning fire, but all 11 occupants of the home escaped safely, Fire Chief Alvin Cockerham said.

At about 3 a.m. Sunday, the Morgan City Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at a home in the 800 block of Onstead Street. The first fire truck arrived on scene within about two minutes, and the home was “totally involved” in flames, Cockerham said. A ladder truck and three pumper trucks were on scene within about seven minutes.

The fire may have started in the back of the home, but the home was damaged so badly firefighters aren’t sure exactly where the fire began, Cockerham said.

The fire traveled into the attic, and “more or less vented itself,” he said. There were 11 occupants in the home at the time of the fire, but all of them were able to escape unharmed, the chief said.

The home sustained heavy fire, smoke and water damage. Firefighters have not yet determined a possible cause of the fire, Cockerham said. Firefighters from the Berwick and Bayou Vista fire departments also responded to provide help to keep the fire from spreading.

Firefighters cleared the scene at about 8 a.m. Sunday.