Preventable tragedies claimed the lives of four area residents over the weekend.

Saturday, January 27, at approximately 5 p.m., the Savage Forks Fire Department responded to a mobile home fire in the 200 block of Kyle Lane.  Firefighters found the body of an elderly male resident in the bedroom.  No name will be released until the investigators complete their determination.  They believe the fire began in the living room area of the mobile home and then spread.  They have not ruled out unsafe heating practices as a contributing factor to the fire.

The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office responded Sunday, January 28, to an early morning phone call to the Vernon Parish E911 Center of a possible missing boater on Vernon Lake.  Area first responders, agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Vernon deputies began their search upon arriving.  A body was recovered from the lake shortly after 4 p.m. and identified as 42-year-old Derek Green of Pineville, Louisiana.  LDWF investigators determined that Green had two juveniles in the boat and was running the trolling motor when a wave caused Green to fall from the vessel. He surfaced a few times before going under, according to his passengers.  According to authorities, Green was unable to swim and was not wearing a life jacket.  The body was turned over to the Vernon Parish Coroner’s Office to determine the cause of death.

Thursday, January 25, shortly after noon, the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office received a report of a house fire on Savage Forks Road. Fire crews from Savage Forks, New Llano, Leesville, Rosepine, Sundown and Sandy Hill responded to extinguish the blaze. The fire crews discovered human remains inside the building.

The State Fire Marshall’s Office investigated the fire and determined it had been set intentionally.

The Vernon Parish Coroner’s Office examined the bodies and made tentative identification.

Detectives with the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office believe this was a fatal domestic violence incident. The names of the victims are being withheld at the family’s request.