x
Breaking News
More () »

Two-alarm fire damages vacant home, trailer and cars in St. Claude

According to NOFD, neighbors have reported seeing squatters or vagrants coming in and out of the home.

NEW ORLEANS- The smell of smoke is still fresh. The charred remains are clearly visible, and the burned structure literally feet away from Tony's apartment.

"I mean I could've been home when that fire happened. And I wouldn't be standing here right now," Tony said.

Tony didn't want his face shown on television, but you could feel his sense of relief after a large fire narrowly missed his front door on the 1500 block of Franklin Avenue.

"Basically I was at work and when I came out I saw smoke coming from over here. I immediately ran over and all I heard was a big banging. All I saw was just flames just out and about," Tony said.

Officials tell Eyewitness News an off-duty firefighter noticed smoke coming from the back of the abandoned building just before 8:00 am Sunday morning.

Crews quickly put the fire out, but not before it damaged cars at a repair shop at 2611 N. Robertson Street. It also torched a trailer, which sits just two steps away from Tony and his two dogs.

"I was definitely concerned about my residence as well as my neighbor's family," Tony said.

Paul Johnson also watched the fire erupt.

"It was an inferno. There were cops and firemen all over the place. It's what they would consider a squat. And yes, it's been a squat for a while," Johnson said.

According to the NOFD, neighbors have reported seeing squatters or vagrants coming in and out of the home.

"All the time. Everyday. All day everyday," Tony said.

Given the cold weather last night, Tony and many people in this community say it's often that people go inside to stay warm. A problem we always see this time of the year and for the next few months.

Investigators are still trying to determine a cause. With the winter months coming up, Tony hopes the city takes swift action in not only reducing the amount of abandoned homes, but building more locations for the homeless so that something like this doesn't end in tragedy.

If you want to find or report a blighted property in the city, click here.

Before You Leave, Check This Out