A 3-alarm fire at an apartment complex in Uptown New Orleans displaces 26 residents.
According to New Orleans Fire Superintendent Tim McConnell, the fire broke-out Monday around 8:40 p.m. at the Amies Paradise Apartment Complex on the corner of Washington Avenue and Carondelet Street.
When firefighters arrived at the U-shaped 2-story complex, 20 of the building’s 25 units were occupied.
McConnell says the fire spread quickly and fire crews immediately began search and rescue efforts as a third alarm was called about 9:25 p.m.
“As firefighters advanced their hose lines up the front stairs to the second-floor balcony, several residents ran from their apartments covered with towels and blankets as hot thick black smoke rolled over their heads,” McConnell said in a media report.
All of the residents inside safely escaped the fire. The American Red Cross was on the scene to assist the 26 displaced residents with housing vouchers, food, clothing, and information for longer term assistance needs. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.