Bible remains after massive fire destroys Ruston duplex

Ruston Fire Department is investigating a fire that destroyed a duplex on Kavanaugh Road. Eric Brazzel, RFD's Public Education Officer, said the fire started around 11:30 p.m., Wednesday night.

Two neighbors who witnessed the incident said they were left in disbelief.

"It's a fire. A fire? Not again," were the words Maria Vital prayed. She has experienced losing everything before but in a different setting.

"I was beginning to think about the fire at Head Start," Vital said. She teaches at Paul E. Slaton Headstart. The school building burned down last year.

"This is very devastating for me to see again," Vital said.

Another witness, J. Thomas, said she heard "The crackling. Glass breaking." Her home is closest to the duplex that caught fire. Like Vital, Thomas knows how it feels to lose everything. She said she has been through two fires. Luckily, this one was put out before it could reach her home.

"It doesn't make me feel any better to see my neighbor lose theirs," Thomas said. "Nobody wants to start their year off with a tragedy."

Thomas said after watching her neighbor's home turn to ashes, she did not get any sleep.

"There were flames coming out of the top of the building. There were flames coming out of the windows," Thomas said.

Both neighbors said they are grateful that the two families are okay, though Brazzel said it was a close call for one of them.

"If this gentleman had of been at home, he said he didn't have a smoke alarm. So it could have been a bigger problem instead of that," Brazzel said.

Thomas said she was shocked to see what item was able to make it through the fire.

"There was a bible that one of the men brought out, one of the firefighters," she said.