Franklin Fire Department was dispatched to Hospital Avenue at 1:28 pm on Thursday afternoon for smoke coming from the roof of a residence, which had been evacuated by the residents. While en route to the scene, the call was upgraded to a structure fire. Centerville, Baldwin and Chitimacha Fire Departments were also dispatched for mutual aid.
The first units to arrive found a two-unit apartment with smoke emitting from the gable vents and eaves. Upon making entry into a vacant apartment unit, firefighters found smoke inside the unit. Utilizing a Thermal Imaging Camera, a fire was located in the attic. Firefighters were able to pull the ceiling to gain access to the attic and extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported.
A faulty heating unit is the suspected cause of the fire.