Alligator Point

As soon as you turn on Pine Street in Alligator Point the smell of smoke fills the air. Investigators were on scene Monday morning, looking for clues to find out how this fire started. And neighbors watched in shock as they recall a devastating night.

"It went up so quick, within 15 minutes the whole place was just up in flames, it's been here so long. There was nothing we could do, just sit back and watch it go up," recalls neighbor Margaret Broussard.

Broussard says it was just after midnight on Monday when she thought she heard fireworks. But when she looked out the window, the home at 593 Pine Street was ablaze.

"We ran across the street. We could see the flames and the fire was sort of in front of the house. And went to try and bust the window back to see if we couldn't get him, to holler, because we knew he was in there," said Broussard.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office says they believe the owners, 80-year-old AJ Thompson and his wife 71-year-old Joyce Thompson were inside. They never made it out and neither did their two dogs.

"It's heartbreaking you know because we were friends with him and we were beginning to get even closer to him. Helping him out he would come and help us, it was like a neighborhood thing. Around here everybody knows everybody. I think everybody's in shock right now," said Broussard.

"He was a wonderful person. He was a great neighbor and he's always helping people and quite a mechanic. He put in a lot of the wells in this development," said Robert Gould, a neighbor.

"It's always shocking. We're a small community so of course I knew the folks that were here. Know all the neighbors all the neighbors know everybody so it tends to affect you a little more," said Steve Fling, the Alligator Point Fire Chief.

Many neighbors tell Eyewitness News that AJ was a wonderful person and a great friend who had lived in the area since 1968.

The State Fire Marshal's Office would not confirm the identities of the two bodies until the autopsies are complete.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, but say it does not appear to be anything suspicious.

The fire chief also said he wonders if a heater played a role in the fire because it was the first cold night. "This time of year is always a little worrisome. The first cold night, you just worry about heaters and such. Everybody should be a little careful this time of year," explained Fling.