Man dies in accidental Lafayette house fire

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A Lafayette man and his dog are dead after a fire started in the living room of a home, according to fire investigators.

The Lafayette Fire Department responded to a fire at 8:22 p.m. Thursday at 3704 Navarre Court. Upon arrival, firefighters removed an unconscious man from the home.

That victim was later identified as Jay Bradley Patterson. Patterson was transported to Franciscan St. Elizabeth East Hospital and later airlifted to Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis, where he died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the fire.

The investigation revealed the fire started in the front living room, where Patterson was found when crews arrived on the scene. The fire is being ruled as an accident with the cause being improperly discarded smoking material.

Investigators say there were no working smoke detectors found or discovered during the course of the investigation.

A dog also died inside the home.