Firefighters in New Orleans battled a fire at a home in the 5400 block of Charters Street.
The fire happened just before midnight on Thursday. When firefighters arrived, they found thick black smoke billowing from the windows. An off-duty firefighter, who lives in the neighborhood, saw the fire and was first on scene. He was attempting to force entry into the burning home to help in any rescue. Once firefighters forced their way in, they began fighting the fire and searching for any survivors.
The NOFD says fire crews found an elderly woman’s body pinned under burning debris. She did not survive and was pronounced dead on the scene by EMS. The cause of the fire is under investigation. NOFD officials have not yet released the identity of the woman killed in the fire.