Early Morning Fire Destroys Home of Retired Shreveport Firefighter

Shreveport firefighters were called to a reported house fire in the 4300 block of Wildwood Drive just after 7:30 Sunday morning.  When they got there, they found the house fully engulfed in flames.  

The fire was already in the attic and venting from the roof.  It took nearly an hour to bring the fire under control and additional units were needed to get the upper hand on the flames.

The home's occupant was retired Shreveport Fire Captain Ronald Plants.  He had retired from the department more than 14 years ago with over 28 years of service.  He's told investigators that his experience as a firefighter enabled him to get out of the burning house safely even though his dog perished in the fire.

Plants has told investigators he had smelled smoke and, when he came out of the bathroom, the heat inside the house was intense.  He received first-degree burns to his forehead but was able to get down to the floor and make his way to the nearest room. Once there, he was able to escape the flames and heat via a window.  He was treated at the scene by fire department medics but refused transport to the hospital.

The exact cause of he fire is still under investigation.