Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
Copyright 2006 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
Lightning set fire to a two-story residence at St. Charles Avenue and Arabella Street Monday afternoon, but firefighters quickly snuffed out the flames, the New Orleans Fire Department said.
A man, his wife, and several of their grown children were in the white brick house with brick columns at 5705 St. Charles Ave. when the wife heard the noise of a lightning strike, Capt. Chuck Brokmeier said. She went upstairs, saw smoke and told her husband, who called the fire department.
Firefighters dispatched at 3:09 p.m. saw flames coming out of the louvered vent at the peak of the gable facing Arabella at the lake, uptown corner.
Firefighters “made a line right up to the attic” and quickly put the fire out, said Brokmeier, an acting district chief. Firefighters did a “heck of a job,” he said. He said the one-alarm fire, under control in 15 or 20 minutes, did minimal damage, burning some wood in the attic and some personal belongings stored there.
Brokmeier said water damage was also very minimal. Firefighters covered objects with tarpaulins in case any water dripped. A smoke ejector was used to eliminate any residual smoke on the second-floor.