March 20, 2002

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Public Information Officer
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Fire Damages Cross Lake Apartment

Shreveport firefighters were called out to the Villa Del Largo Apartment complex, 3300 Milam Street, this afternoon for a fire that partially destroyed a single residence.

By the time firefighters received the call to respond to the apartments that border Cross Lake at 2:19 p.m, fire was racing through the kitchen of apartment I-204. When crews arrived on the scene, the fire had broken through the front window of the second floor apartment and engulfed a portion of a wooded walkway that surrounded the building.

After knocking down the fire outside of the upstairs corner apartment, firefighters then went through the front door to find the kitchen and diningroom of the residence rolling in fire and smoke. Other fire crews went to adjacent apartments to make sure everyone was safely evacuated and to check for fire spread. After 30 minutes and when firefighters were able to give the all clear on the attic or other apartments, officials listed the blaze under control at 2:50 p.m.

Lone occupant Clara Small, 56, was able to escape the fire but not before attempting to extinguish it herself. According to fire officials, Small said she had been cooking when she left the apartment for a short period. When she returned, Small said that the stove was on fire and that she tried to put it out by throwing a sheet over it. No injuries were reported. An official cause has not been given but authorities said it would probably be listed as accidental. ###