New Orleans, Louisiana: Apartment Fire in New Orleans East Displaces Seven on Florita Court

Seven people were displaced on Monday night after a two alarm fire at an apartment building in New Orleans East, the New Orleans Fire Department said. The fire was reported at about 6:53 p.m. in the 7100 block of Florita Court, and one resident, a 43 year old woman, was treated for smoke inhalation and taken to a local hospital.

Fire crews find heavy smoke

When firefighters arrived, they found a single story, four unit apartment building with heavy smoke coming from the doors and windows. Crews began searching the building soon after they arrived. The search showed that every resident had either escaped on their own or was not home when the fire started.

A second alarm brought more crews to the block. In fire department terms, a second alarm is a call for extra engines, trucks and firefighters beyond the first assignment, and departments request one when a fire is large enough or the building is occupied enough that the first crews need help. Florita Court is a residential street in New Orleans East, the part of the city east of the Industrial Canal.

One resident treated, two dogs rescued

The 43 year old woman was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and then transported to a local hospital for further treatment, the department said. Fire officials did not release her name, and no update on her condition was published in the reports.

Firefighters also rescued two dogs from a rear apartment. No other injuries were reported, among residents or firefighters.

Seven people were displaced by the fire. The reports did not say where the displaced residents spent Monday night or which agency was helping them, and they did not give a damage total for the building.

Investigators trace the fire to an outlet

Investigators determined that the fire was electrical in nature. It started at an outlet in an interior wall that separated two of the apartments, the department said.

WDSU reported the fire on Monday night, with the fire department account of the search, the injured resident and the electrical cause. WVUE, the Fox affiliate in New Orleans, carried its own report of the same fire, with the department placing crews at the 7100 block of Florita Court at about 7 p.m. and seven people displaced. The two reports agree on the address block, the building, the injuries and the number displaced.