Six-Alarm Fire
This morning I woke up to the smell of cooking ham or at least that is what I thought it was in my half awake/half asleep state of mind. After the smell grew stronger, I finally realized it was not likely that some one was grilling ham just outside my bedroom window at 8:00 am.
It was about that time when the sirens started. Police and Fire Trucks and the sound kept getting closer and closer. When the helicopters started whirring over head, I knew it was time to get up for the day; it was just then that the power went out.
Sitting at my desk writing this out longhand, I figure the fire cannot be more than three blocks from my apartment. Helicopters fly by, dump water on the plumb of dark smoke rising up behind Hubig’s Pies then run away to get more water as the next chopper comes in for the pass.
Rumor has it the fire is an exploded transformer but I will have to wait a while before I get the whole story for right now I am going to take a walk and get out of smoke.
Back from my walk, I am learning from nola.com that some houses and cars were destroyed. It turns out all of this happened just two blocks from my house. This evening though once again in front of my window all is clear. The sun is going down and the green glow from Hubig’s sign is starting to take over the street below.
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You certainly have had an tumultuous intro to New Orleans, haven’t you? :-( I hope no one was injured. Keep us posted. (yikes! What a horrible pun - I’ll try to avoid those in the future! :-P )
A.
The fire was at 1024 Mandeville Street. I live on that block. Walked outside at 8 this morning to find the street all smoky. Thought, “That smoke is coming from the house up the street.” Four houses away from where I live (a white two-story long-abandoned house.)
So I went to investigate, and as we get to the house, a sleepy looking latino man pushes aside some plywood covering a window and crawls out. A squatter. Don’t know if he set the fire or someone else squatting in the house did. We called 911 - Fire trucks come. I leave for work.
Come back to find that not only is that house completely gone but so is the two-plex next door. The four-plex next to that is totally ruined. Eleven of my neighbors are homeless.
My roommate took these pictures:
http://homepage.mac.com/jjambon/PhotoAlbum4.html
according to Nola.com no one was hurt in the fires.
Joel, Glad to hear it didn’t make it over to your house and thanks for the pictures.