New Orleans firefighters rescued one dog, but another didn't make it after a fire in the Lower Ninth Ward today. Several hours later, firefighters found the dog's owner.
"At 5:26 a.m., New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) personnel were dispatched to investigate the smell of smoke in the area of Galvez St and Fats Domino Blvd in the Lower Ninth Ward," Captain Edwin Holmes said in a news release.
He says they found the source a short time later.
"The visibility of smoke and the orange glow of a working fire led firefighters to a two-story, single-family dwelling at 2606 Gordon St."
Crews reported that the second floor of the home was already fully involved in flames.
"Arriving on the scene at 5:37 a.m. firefighters quickly set up fire suppression operations while simultaneously conducting a primary search of the first floor of the dwelling. One dog was rescued at the door on the second floor, while another was recovered from nearby, having succumbed due to this incident. Neighbors stated that a third dog had escaped and been seen roaming the neighborhood."
Holmes says neighbors told NOFD Fire Operations personnel that the adult male resident hardly ever left the property.
"This along with the resident’s cars still being on the scene, prompted the request for a cadaver dog to the scene to search the charred remains of the collapsed dwelling."
At the time of the news release they had not found any human remains, but Holmes said they were still searching.
"More information will be forthcoming once the search and investigation of this incident are complete."
The cause remains under investigation.
