Two-Alarm Fire Damages Two Dwellings In The 1800 Block Of N. Derbigny Street In NOLA

From the City of New Orleans:

March 6, 2021

On Saturday, March 6, 2021 at 3:19 a.m., the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) received a 911 call reporting a fire in an occupied dwelling at 1820 N. Derbigny St. Dispatched immediately, the first NOFD unit arrived on the scene at 3:24 a.m. Upon arrival firefighters noticed the rear of both an abandoned dwelling at 1818 N. Derbigny St. and an occupied duplex at 1820-22 N. Derbigny St. were heavily involved with flames already through the roofs of both structures. The size of the incident and possibility of persons trapped prompted the request for a second alarm at 3:28 a.m. An elderly couple residing in the duplex at 1820-22 N. Derbigny St. had escaped safely prior to NOFD arrival. The male resident explained to firefighters that earlier the previous day he had chased vagrants out of the abandoned property at 1818 N. Derbigny St. During the mitigation of this incident, firefighters were able to determine that the fire had started in the abandoned property and extended to the occupied dwelling next door. There were no utilities servicing the abandoned dwelling which had been vacant for several years according to the neighbors.

Sixteen NOFD units carrying thirty-eight Fire Operations personnel were used to bring this incident under control at 3:53 a.m. There were no injuries reported and the cause of this suspicious fire is currently under investigation. The American Red Cross has been requested to assist the couple displaced by this fire with their temporary housing needs.

Call Received: 3:19 a.m.
Dispatched: 3:19 a.m.
Arrival: 3:24 a.m.
Second Alarm: 3:28 a.m.
Under Control: 3:53 a.m.
NOFD Units: 16
Fire Ops Personnel: 38
Injuries: None Reported
Cause: Under Investigation

This press release was produced by the City of New Orleans. The views expressed are the author's own.