One dead in Bayou Blue house fire

A house fire on Bayou Blue Road killed a 33-year-old man over the weekend.

Tommy Blanchard, who his father said worked as a flooring contractor, was pronounced dead at the scene of the Sunday morning fire after succumbing to smoke inhalation, according to preliminary reports.

Bayou Blue Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Van Matherne said firefighters were dispatched to the single-story brick house just after 1 a.m., when a passing motorist reported the fire.

By the time firefighters arrived at the house, flames were shooting out of the front windows, Matherne said.

Though firefighters managed to enter the house about five minutes after they arrived, they found Blanchard already dead underneath the kitchen table, Matherne said.

Shirley Blanchard, Tommy Blanchard’s mother, and her grandson, Brian Joseph Westerman who, his grandfather said, is either 6 or 7, were able to escape without serious injuries, officials said.

Officials said they think the fire started around the kitchen’s gas stove, though the cause of the fire was unclear.