April 4, 2004

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

Second Alarm Fire Guts Eight Apartments

Fire officials are crediting a working smoke detector for saving the lives of a dozen Shreveport residents after a fire raced through their building and destroyed eight units . . .

The first 911 call reporting the fire at the Woodland Terrace Apartments, 4210 Greenwood Lane, came in at 3:46 a.m. When the first firefighters arrived on the scene from the nearby Airport Station, heavy smoke and flames had already consumed two side of building 300 of the West Shreveport complex.

Fire Commanders on the scene immediately called for a second alarm (more resources in the way of equipment and staffing) because of the magnitude of the fire and for life-safety issues. Of the eight apartments affected, numbers 301-308, only three were occupied at the time of the fire and all of the residents were able to escape prior to the fire department’s arrival. It took 44 firefighters and 18 pieces of emergency pieces of equipment more than an hour to bring the fire under control. An aggressive fire attack by the first arriving engine companies, 16, 14, and 8, saved the building from total ruin. According to Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, "the firefighters performed exceptionally in saving the building and ensuring that all of the adjacent residences were safely evacuated. They did not know that all of the individuals were safely out and they charged the fire and entered the burning structures assertively with a determination to save lives and property that was commendable, said Cochran." Firefighters used Thermal Imaging Cameras to canvas each involved apartment for any sign of life during rescue operations.

Fire investigators have determined that the cause of the fire was from unattended grease left of the stove after an individual in apartment 305 came home around 3:00 a.m. and began to cook but fell asleep. Another occupant of the apartment was woken by the residence’s smoke alarm and noticed the kitchen ablaze. All escaped without injury and began beating on neighbor’s apartment doors to notify them of the fire. Kitchen fires remain one of the leading causes of all fires not just in Shreveport but around the country. The fire department strongly cautions against heating any food and leaving it unattended. Considering the time of morning, the extent of the fire damage, and the fact that it was a multiple family dwelling, all risk factors, residences were extremely fortunate to have escaped with their lives. Statistically more individuals are injured and killed during residential fires in the early morning hours than any other time.

According to the apartment’s manager, there are enough vacant apartments in other areas of the complex to house all of the displaced residents. ###