PRESS RELEASE

To: NEWSROOM

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Assistant To The Fire Chief

May 22, 2005 - Body Found Dead Inside Structure Fire

The badly burnt body of an unidentified person was found among the ruins of an early morning fire that engulfed five structures, encompassing eight vacant residences, in Shreveport’s Allendale neighborhood today . . .

Firefighters were called to the corner of North Allen and Alston around 3:40 a.m. by Shreveport Police who noticed smoke and then flames coming from several rows of “shotgun” style homes common for the area. The size and number of buildings involved forced fire officials to call for extra units to battle the intense fire. In all 34 firefighters from five stations were used.

When firefighters arrived they found five of the structures, two lining North Allen and two along Alston, on fire. The fifth structure, located behind both rows of homes and housing two residences, is believed to be the origin of the fire and where the body was discovered. After initial firefighting efforts were hampered by multiple downed “live” power lines strewn throughout the campus of homes, the fire was extinguished by 4:45 a.m. About an hour later, at 5:40 a.m., as firefighters continued to pour water on the smoldering buildings and look for spot fires, in what is called the “salvage and overhaul” phase of fire department operations, the body was discovered.

Shreveport police detectives and crime scene investigators were called to the scene after fire investigators found the victim in an uncommon position for someone killed by fire. Adding to the possibility that the death may be criminal was a shooting that had occurred around 12:30 a.m. just several blocks away in the 400 block of Peter Harris. In that incident an argument between two men resulted in one being shot to death and the other fleeing. At this writing there is no link between the fire and shooting but the facts of the position of the body and the shooting earlier led to police being involved.

The death may truly be simply a fire related one but fire officials did not want to take the chance of moving the body and contaminating a potential crime scene if the death is later ruled by the coroner to be a criminal act. Also reported but not confirmed were that structures involved in the fire were slated for demolition later this week. Investigators from both the fire and police departments investigation continues. ###