NOFD: Fire damages 5 homes, displaces 16 residents in Central City Saturday afternoon

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The New Orleans Fire Department began investigating a fire in a Central City neighborhood Saturday afternoon.

According to NOFD, a call was reported around 12:30 p.m, at the intersection of Delachaise and Freret Streets.

When firefighters arrived at the location they found a single-family home in flames at 2505 Delachaise Street.

Reports show that residents frantically tried to escape and warn neighbors of the fire. Firefighters conducted a primary search of the building and helped clear residents exposed to the fire in the surrounding buildings.

A second alarm was called shortly after according to NOFD.

NOFD learned that a teenage resident at 2505 Delachaise St was the first to notice the rear deck area of her home on fire. A resident told NOFD that she notified her family to get out of the residence, called 911, and began alerting her neighbors.

Through the investigation, firefighters learned dead foliage and tree limbs spanning the rear of multiple properties are what caused the fire to spread to four other homes.

The additional properties that were affected by the fire included 2509 Delachaise St, 2513-15 Delachaise St, 3435 Freret St, and 3437 Delachaise St. They all received varying but significant degrees of fire damage to the rear of the structures according to NOFD.

NOFD reported that the American Red Cross was requested to the scene to assist all who were displaced by the incident.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported.

Reports show that a make-shift propane-operated smoker was determined to be the fire’s point of origin according to NOFD.