Thomson and Rayleigh scattering methods were applied to quantify the electron and heavy particle temperatures, as well as electron number density, in a laser spark in helium at atmospheric pressure. Plasma was created using 4.5 ns, 25 mJ pulses from Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. Measurements, performed for the time interval between 20 ns and 800 ns after breakdown, show electron density and temperature to decrease from 7.8x1023 m 3 to 2.6x10^22 m 3 and from 95900K to 10350K, respectively. At the same time, the heavy particle temperature drops from only 47000K down to 4100K which indicates a two temperature plasma out of local isothermal equilibrium.