State fire marshal to investigate suspicious house fire in LaFayette

Authorities are investigating a suspicious fire at a vacant residence in LaFayette.

According to LaFayette Fire Chief Stacey Meeks, on Friday, Oct. 18, around 4 a.m., LaFayette firefighters responded to a blaze at 307 Cavender St. in LaFayette.

The vacant residence had power, was secured and in the process of being remodeled.

The residence sustained limited damage and was saved due to the quick response of the firefighters.

No injuries were reported. Meeks said the fire is suspicious in origin and the state Fire Marshal’s Office will be investigating the fire.

The fire began on an enclosed back porch.

Since the cause of the fire does not seem to be electrical, the cause of the fire will need to be determined by the state fire marshal, Meeks said.

Meeks said it is suspected that squatters seeking shelter from the cold may have started the fire as a heat source.

“This time of year, you will see more fires when it starts getting colder,” Meeks said. “People are seeking shelter from the cold.”

The tailored approach will allow individual schools to customize their approach to issues because an issue that poses a significant hurdle for many students at one school may not pose as much of a challenge at another school.

The Capturing Kids’ Hearts program at Rossville elementary and middle schools is designed to develop relationships with students.

Students who grow up in poverty often come to school in a fight-or-flight mode. The Capturing Kids Hearts program calms this response, facilitating students’ using their coping skills and learning, he said.

This program is less appropriate for Fairyland and North LaFayette elementary schools, which have lower poverty rates, he said.