Fires afflict several neighborhoods
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
Copyright 2006 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
Responding to their fourth fire of the day, New Orleans firefighters doused a blaze Wednesday at a home near St. Claude Avenue and Touro Street at about 3:20 p.m., one that nearly spread into Sweet Lorraine’s jazz club next door.
No one was injured in the fire, believed to have stemmed from a cooking accident, but passers-by rescued two people inside.
More than 60 firefighters doused the three-alarm blaze quickly after responding to the call in about four minutes, said Fire Department Chief Charles Parent.
Firefighters blocked off St. Claude between Touro and the bend where St. Claude becomes North Rampart Street while they battled the blaze.
Earlier, three other fires did substantial damage to structures across the city, fire officials said.
The largest of the fires, a five-alarm blaze at about 2 a.m., engulfed two Gentilly buildings, including the vacant Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
Responding to a 911 call of a fire at 3918 Clematis St. at 2:10 a.m., firefighters found flames shooting through the roof of the two-story, camelback wood-frame house.
They also discovered the church next door, at 3938 Clematis, fully involved in flames.
Both buildings were vacant and neither had electrical service, officials said.
Ninety-five firefighters battled the blazes, bringing them under control by 4:16 a.m.
A Fire Department news release said the upstairs portion of the camelback was heavily damaged. Owners had planned to move into the home next week after completing renovations.
The church was destroyed. It was for sale at the time of the fire.
No injuries were reported.
Forty-three firefighters in 13 units were called at 10:53 a.m. to a two-alarm fire in Lakeview at 514 Harrison Ave., near Louis XIV Street, Fire Department spokesman Michael Williams said. Williams said no one was hurt in that fire. He had no other information.
An earlier three-alarm fire at a structure at 1900 N. Claiborne Ave., at the corner of North Claiborne and Pauger Street in the 7th Ward, was reported by police at 6:20 a.m.
Firefighters got there three minutes later and had the fire extinguished by 8:11 p.m., Williams said.