August 6, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer

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

Allendale Fire Believed to Have Been Set

Shreveport fire investigators believe that a fire yesterday in the city’s Allendale neighborhood that destroyed two homes and damaged three others, may have been set by juveniles seen in the area prior to the blaze.

Investigators are following up on leads and tips from area citizens that reported seeing several teens in the area behind the homes that burned in the 1900 block on Laurel Street. The origin of the fire was believed to be one of two storage buildings behind the property at 1918 and 1924 Laurel Street. Investigators said that neither building had electric power nor other utilities, narrowing down the possibility that the fire may have been accidental.

The fire department received the first call reporting a single house fire at 5:57 p.m. When responding companies from the nearby Milam Street and Central fire stations converged on what was actually two homes totally involved in flames and several others beginning to smolder, officials called for a second-alarm. The second-alarm sent more resources in terms of firefighters and equipment to the scene of what turned out to be a conflagration of smoke and flames. Not long after their arrival, fire officials determined that the two main homes involved in the fire were vacant and a total loss. Officials then focused their attention on saving the other adjacent structures being threatened by the fire. Fire crews rushed to protect those homes that were just beginning to burn or were facing exposure of the extreme heat and flames. Additionally, a water curtain from an elevated ladder truck provided coverage to those homes to the west and extinguished two structures, also vacant, that were beginning to burn.

The weather also played a role in yesterday’s catastrophe. Fierce winds coming out of the northeast and unusually dry weather conditions added to the fire’s ability to spread quickly. Thick vegetation surrounding several of the homes may have also led to the spread of the fire. With this in mind, firefighters evacuated several adjacent homes that presented with potential fire exposure. Minutes later the roof and attic of one of the evacuated homes, 1929 Laurel, caught fire.

As firefighters rotated out and fought on through the early evening hours, flames turned to heave smoke as commanders of the incident finally listed it as under control just after 8:00 p.m. No firefighters were injured although several were worn and exhausted by the extremely hot and humid conditions of yesterday’s weather. One citizen, looking on from the street, was evaluated by department paramedics after complaining of smoke inhalation around 8:00 p.m. They were not transported to the hospital. ###