Early Wednesday morning, residents of the Gentilly Ridge Apartment Complex were startled awake by a fierce blaze that swept through their homes. The New Orleans Fire Department was called into action at approximately 6:19 a.m. after a 911 call reported a fire at the complex located in the 6000 block of Chef Menteur Hwy, according to an official press release on the City of New Orleans website. NOFD firefighters, facing a rapidly advancing situation, requested additional alarms to tackle the inferno that started on the second floor and eventually necessitated a five-alarm response.
Swift evacuation efforts were a priority as the fire began to spread, with fire personnel working diligently to clear the entire 115-unit apartment complex of residents. While the swift response allowed for the safe evacuation of all residents, the fire ravaged approximately 60 units on the west side, causing significant fire, smoke, and water damage. Additional units on the east side also sustained damage, with the exact scale of displacement still undetermined, as mentioned in the City of New Orleans report.
The effort to combat and contain the fire required the mobilization of significant resources. A total of twenty-eight New Orleans Police Department units, staffed by eighty-eight Fire Ops personnel, were on the scene to address the threat. New Orleans Emergency Medical Services treated two individuals for smoke inhalation; both were transported to a local hospital for further care. As the situation was brought under control and declared, "Under Control" at 9:46 a.m., one New Orleans Police Department firefighter also received treatment for exhaustion but returned to duty shortly after, as reported by the City of New Olreans.
Support for the firefighting operation extended beyond just extinguishing flames. The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) coordinated efforts to manage crowds and facilitate traffic around the affected area. Entergy, the power company, was called in to de-energize overhead power lines to ensure the safety of the first responders. Additionally, in the wake of the disaster, the American Red Cross was requested to help the residents who will be facing displacement due to the incident. New Orleans Police Department personnel maintained a vigilant presence for several hours after the fire was under control, checking for "hot spots" and ensuring the scene was thoroughly managed, as per the City of New Orleans.
