BATON ROUGE — A space heater too close to flammable material started a house fire Tuesday morning. One person suffered second- and third-degree burns and eight others were displaced during the city's frigid weather.

The Baton Rouge Fire Department said one person, a male, was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

The fire occurred about 9:30 a.m. at a home along Byron Street, about a block from the intersection of Evangeline Street and McClelland Drive. When crews arrived, they found eight of the house's nine residents outside and were able to rescue the one remaining inside. 

In total, six adults and three children were displaced.

Investigators said the fire started because a space heater was placed too close to flammable material. 

Firefighters urge residents to never leave a heater running unattended and to keep it at least 3 feet away from anything flammable. Never plug a space heater into an extension cord.