By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LUTCHER – An early morning fire Monday ravaged a storage room and an old concession stand under bleachers at Lutcher High School’s football stadium, putting into question whether the facility can be used for future sporting events.

State fire officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze, but Fire Marshal Butch Browning said Monday that the fire is believed to have been intentionally set.

“Our investigation won’t be complete until later in the week, but the cause is suspicious,” Browning said. “There are signs that the building was broken into.”

The fire, which caused an estimated $200,000 in damage to the structure and some equipment inside, was discovered about 1:20 a.m. Monday by a Lutcher Police officer doing a security patrol in the neighborhood around the stadium.

“The officer saw and smelled smoke, and it eventually led him back to the stadium,” Browning said. “He said heavy smoke and fire were pouring out of the south end of the building.”

The Lutcher Fire Department arrived a short time after the call but could not get the fire completely under control until about 3:30 a.m., Browning said. He said the fire damaged four rooms under the home side bleachers, which had been converted to a weight room, as well as the stadium’s old concession stand. Investigators are trying to determine the stadium’s structural integrity.

“We don’t know if it is safe to occupy just yet,” Browning said. “The fire went through the attic under the stands and damaged some of the seats on that side.”

The Class 4A Lutcher High football team plays Teurlings Catholic High School in Lafayette in the second round of state playoffs Friday night. If the team is able to win that matchup, there would be a home game scheduled at the stadium on Nov. 26. It is not clear if the stadium will be ready to host the game.

“If we are fortunate enough to move on this weekend, we have a home game the next week, but I don’t know where home would be,” said Lutcher High Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Tim Detillier. “I’ve been told so far that more than 75 percent of the damaged area would be unusable at this moment. We have a hard enough time finding seats for everyone under normal circumstances.”

Detillier said the concession stand and old weight room above were empty at the time of the fire, but other affected rooms had track and field equipment including pits for pole vault and high jump events. He said investigators found a padlock and hasp still locked on a door, but the door was kicked in.

“The building had been broken into before, so we have had to deal with it in the past,” Detillier said. “There was nothing left in there worth taking.”

Detillier said he is doing his best to keep the team focused on practice and preparation for Friday’s game, but he said it has been hard on the community.

“It’s hard to keep something like this out of the public’s eye because we are such a small community,” Detillier said. “It has been a bit of a parade out in front the stadium because everyone wants to see the damage. It’s definitely a sad parade.”

Anyone who may have information that could lead to the cause of the fire is asked to contact the State Fire Marshal at 225-925-4911.