Lafayette County, MS – On Monday February 19, 2024, at 6:30 am, Lafayette County Fire Department was dispatched to a residential structure fire on County Road 119.
LCFD Engine 10 arrived on scene to find a 1000 square foot structure with the majority of the home well involved. Firefighters were alerted that there were two possible occupants in the home.
LCFD firefighters immediately began an interior search via a front bedroom window and were able to locate one occupant. The occupant was removed from the home, and immediate life-saving measures were started by LCFD and Baptist EMS personnel.
Unfortunately, due to the involvement of the rest of the home, the interior attack crew was forced to evacuate the home before locating the second occupant. Firefighters continued a brief defensive fire attack before quickly returning inside to finish extinguishing the fire. The second occupant was located after the fire was contained, and both individuals of the home were pronounced deceased by Lafayette County Coroner’s Office on the scene.
The Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s office, along with LCFD and LCSO fire investigators, are investigating the cause of the fire.
This will be a dual investigation by Mississippi Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office. No further information will be released at this time since this is an active investigation.
On February 20, 2024 The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office Issued the following statement:
The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department along with The Lafayette County Fire Department around 6:30 in the morning on February 19 , 2024 responded to a house fire on County Road 119 in Abbeville. Once on scene the house was fully involved. Unfortunately, 72-year-old Rickey Wray and wife 74-year-old Cathy Wray both were pronounced deceased at the scene by Lafayette County Coroner Glenn Coleman. There is no foul play expected at this time. The incident is still under investigation by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department and the State Fire Marshals office.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Sheriff Joey East.
