Mother and son identified as victims; fire officials acknowledged volunteer shortage after earlier fire
ERWINVILLE — A 72-year-old woman and her 48-year-old son died in an early morning house fire Saturday in Erwinville, according to the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Gloria Decuir and Kevin Decuir were killed in the blaze at a home in the 12000 block of Maple Street. The fire occurred approximately 1,600 feet from the Erwinville Volunteer Fire Department.
The fire was first reported by a driver traveling on Highway 190 who saw the flames, according to Browning Associates LLC representative Butch Browning. The State Fire Marshal’s Office said the department was dispatched at 5:17 a.m. Browning told WBRZ that fire crews arrived around 5:15 a.m. — a timeline WBR Independent is working to clarify through public records requests.
Browning said 25 firefighters responded to the call. Browning Associates LLC provides part-time fire chief services under a $50,000 annual consulting contract after the parish abolished the full-time fire chief position in December 2025. The arrangement began in 2022 under former Parish President Riley Berthelot before current Parish President Jason Manola changed the contracted title from “Fire Department Superintendent” to “Part Time Fire Department Chief” in 2025.
Investigators have not ruled out electrical issues as a contributing factor. Both the State Fire Marshal’s Office and fire officials confirmed the home did not have a working smoke alarm.
“At this point, we don’t believe there were working smoke alarms in that home,” Browning told WBRZ.
Saturday’s fire marks the second structure fire near the Erwinville Volunteer Fire Department since early December. On December 7, a mobile home fire on Erwin Drive killed two dogs and sparked criticism of fire department response times. Browning at the time acknowledged an “extreme shortage” of volunteers while defending the department’s response.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Residents in need of a free smoke alarm can request one through the West Baton Rouge Fire Department at wbrfire.org or contact the State Fire Marshal’s Operation Save-A-Life program at lasfm.org.
West Baton Rouge Fire Smoke Alarm Request Form
https://www.lasfm.org/education/public-safety/operation-save-a-life
Updated January 26, 2026. This is a developing story. WBR Independent has filed public records requests for dispatch logs and response time data.
Leave a Reply