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Elderly couple escape 'suspicious' fire that spread from nearby abandoned house

A second alarm was called within minutes because of the size of the fire and the fear that people could be trapped inside the blaze.
Fire truck

NEW ORLEANS — An elderly couple escaped a "suspicious" second-alarm fire Saturday that spread from a nearby abandoned property, according to the NOFD. 

Shortly before 3:30 a.m., New Orleans firefighters responded to a 911 call from the 1800 block of North Derbigny Street, When they arrived, the firefighters saw both the back of an abandoned building and an adjacent duplex on fire. 

A second alarm was called within minutes because of the size of the fire and the fear that people could be trapped inside the blaze.  

But those fears were unfounded, according to the fire department. The couple living in the duplex had escaped prior to their arrival, and no injuries were reported from the incident. 

One of the residents told firefighters that he had chased vagrants out of the abandoned property on Friday. That building had no utilities and had been vacant for several years, according to neighbors. 

The fire reportedly broke out in that abandoned building and spread to the occupied home. The cause of the "suspicious" blaze is still under investigation, NOFD officials said.

The Red Cross is assisting the couple with housing because of the damage to their home. A GoFundMe has also been created to help them with the damages. You can donate here

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