Busy 48 hours for sheriff's office

Acadia Parish Sheriff Wayne Melancon announced that at approximately 4 a.m. Wednesday morning his office received a report of a fire in the 2300 block of Church Point Highway near Rayne. 

Upon arrival deputies learned that Shooters Lounge was engulfed in flames. Members of the Rayne Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire. 

The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to investigate the cause of the fire.

Other unrelated incidents in Acadia Parish:

• The Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to an oilfield accident on Wild Cat Loop near Evangeline shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

According to Acadia Parish Sheriff Wayne Melancon upon arrival deputies learned that workers were pumping crude oil from a vacuum truck to a tank and the rear hatch on the truck blew open striking a worker in the head and chest. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was taken to American Legion Hospital in Jennings by Acadian Ambulance. He has since been transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes where he remains in critical condition.

• Deputies with the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to an 18-wheeler fire that occurred shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday morning on Interstate 10 eastbound near mile post 67. 

Upon arrival deputies found the 18-wheeler that was carrying paper fully engulfed. The Evangeline and Jennings fire departments responded to the incident, with the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jennings Police Department, Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police also responding to the scene and assisting with traffic control. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.