May 31, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Suspicious Early Morning Fire Levels Two-Story Home

Shreveport firefighters had to call in extra companies this morning to fight a two-story vacant house fire at 2402 ½ Virginia Avenue that was fully involved in flames when the first crews arrived at 4:37 a.m. When the first company from the department’s State Fairgrounds station pulled up on the scene, the goal was to first establish that the structure was indeed vacant and no rescue effort would be needed. Second, fire officials wanted to confine the fire and protect the unaffected homes that lay on both sides of the structure.

Due to the fact the home was completely consumed in heavy smoke and flames and that it was a vacant structure, the fire department established a defensive attack plan to extinguish the blaze. A defensive plan is one where the fire is fought from the exterior or periphery and no internal extinguishing attempt is made. The main goal is to protect unaffected property and to keep the fire from spreading. After nearly an hour, the fire was brought under control at 5:30 a.m. Public Works was then called in to tear down what remained of the burned out structure.

The cause of the fire in under investigation but is believed to be arson. No injuries were reported.

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