PRESS RELEASE

To: NEWSROOM

For Immediate Release

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

June 11, 2005 - Second Alarm Fire Threatened School, Neighborhood

Shreveport Firefighters battled a second alarm fire that engulfed three homes in the 1000 block of Foster Street early this morning. . .

(Saturday, June 11, 2005). Flames and smoke from the enormous fire reportedly could be seen for miles. The magnitude and the sheer volume of fire concerned responding fire crews that Hamilton Terrace School, that was adjacent to the fire, was also involved but as they arrived they found that not to be the case.

All of the homes involved were reported by neighbors as being vacant. Fire 911 operators dispatched the initial alarm call at 1:17 a.m. The second alarm was initiated just five minutes later as incident commanders realized the need for additional firefighters to contain the huge fire from spreading to nearby residences and the school. As soon as it was determined that the life safety issue had been addressed and the homes were not occupied the strategy was to keep the fire from spreading and fire crews took a defensive posture.

Thousands of gallons of water were used to shield the school and adjacent homes from becoming involved in the blaze. Large “water curtains” and firefighters placed on the roof of the multi-storied school, to douse flying embers, were used to accomplish this. Low water pressure was reported by fire officials but was not a factor and did not hamper their ability to handle the fire. Shreveport Department of Operational Services reported just prior to the fire that a large 20-inch water main had blown out along North Hearne Avenue. DOS said the main had been worked on the day before by sub-contractors and caps used to seal off the water line blew off causing a significant decrease in area water pressure. As a precaution, fire officials called in water tankers from nearby Caddo Fire Districts to standby in case they were needed. They were sent back unused after the fire took a turn in the firefighters favor and soon after extinguished.

The cause of the fire is still being looked at by Shreveport Fire Investigators. The fire gutted two of the structures leaving only brick fireplaces in place among the smoldering ruins, and heavily damaged the third. No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters. ###