November 2, 2003

PRESS RELEASE
To: Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Asst. to the Fire Chief
Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2411, page: 675-2137

Two-Alarm Fire Destroys Home and Heavily Damages Another, Housing the Volunteer of America Headquarters

A two-alarm fire in the Highland neighborhood of Shreveport destroyed a two-story vacant structure and heavily damaged another, housing the Volunteers of America local headquarters. . .

Officials at Caddo 911 received the first call reporting the fire at 429 Herndon Street from the Volunteer of America home next door at 419 Herndon at 8:21 a.m. When firefighters arrived at the corner of Herndon and Magnolia Street, thick black smoke covered the area and the vacant structure at 429 Herndon was totally involved in flames. The fire had already reached and spread up the side of the Volunteer of America home reaching the attic through the overhanging eaves of the two-story residence. Fire officials realizing the magnitude of the escalating situation, quickly called for a second alarm at 8:26 a.m.

David Lewis, 31, a Volunteer of America residential trainer, said the organization had just moved into the residence last Wednesday. Lewis was notified by one of the home’s occupants that the residence next door was on fire and he called 911. All Volunteer of America employees and occupants were able to escape without injury or incident. Firefighters immediately concentrated their efforts on saving the Volunteer home and directed fire crews into the upper floor of the structure, while other fought flames on its outside. Firefighters had a difficult time gaining access to the attic, where the fire was confined, because it had already collapsed onto itself. At one time, fire officials pulled everyone out of the home for fear of a roof collaps and began fighting the fire defensively with large water streams from the outside. After the fire was knocked down from the outside, firefighters once again returned to the second floor and attic area where they were able to extinguish the remainder of the fire. In the meantime, other subsequent fire companies had contained and extinguished the main fire at 429 Herndon.

Fire investigators are currently on the scene and have not issued a ruling as to the cause of the fire. One neighborhood witness told fire officials that she heard a loud explosion just prior to the fire. Others in the neighborhood said that the home at 429 had been vacant for several months and experienced a previous fire some four or five years earlier. Barry Rachal, owner of the Volunteer of America home said that they had recently remodeled the resident at a considerable cost and that the Volunteers organization had also spent several thousand dollars getting the property to meet its needs. No injuries to civilians or firefighters was reported. ###