Former St. Mary Parish School Board member Bill McCarty and his family were able to escape an early Thursday morning fire from the one-room cypress houseboat they had been living in since their home sustained damage in a July 2018 fire.
“It’s kind of a shock,” McCarty said. “You certainly don’t expect anything like that to happen, let alone twice in seven months.”
One occupant was treated for smoke inhalation, and a firefighter was treated for a minor injury, Assistant Fire Chief John Price said.
During the July fire, McCarty’s wife was able to pick up a couple of things and get out.
“This time there wasn’t even time to do that,” McCarty said. “It was just a matter of hoping to get the door unlocked and get out.”
At 2:47 a.m. Thursday, the Morgan City Fire Department responded to a call of a fire at the houseboat at Lake End Park. The fire destroyed the houseboat, but the two occupants were able to escape safely, Price said.