A fast-moving overnight fire tore through two apartment buildings in the 1900 block of Hickory Avenue in Harahan, displacing 12 residents as powerful winds pushed the flames from unit to unit. Eight apartments caught fire in total, and both structures were already heavily engulfed by the time firefighters arrived on scene.
Fire Chief Todd St. Cyr said strong winds contributed directly to how quickly the blaze spread, according to WDSU. Those gusts were no accident of timing: the National Weather Service had issued a Wind Advisory for Eastern and Western Orleans as a cold front moved through overnight, forecasting northerly gusts of 30 to 35 mph combined with low humidity, as reported by Nola Street Beat. Those conditions created the kind of dry, wind-driven environment that can push flames rapidly across adjacent residential buildings.
Fire Crews Based Just Blocks Away
Harahan Fire Department's headquarters, Station 25, sits at 1115 Hickory Avenue, on the same thoroughfare as the fire scene, per Station Boss. Even with crews stationed nearby, both buildings were already heavily involved in flames by the time firefighters arrived, the station's report notes. The department is led by Chief St. Cyr, according to the City of Harahan.
Hickory Avenue has seen this kind of destruction before. In January 2015, a three-alarm fire swept through an apartment complex in the 1300 block of the same street, displacing four families, according to footage from the NOLA.com.
Cause Still Under Investigation
Arson investigators responded to the scene, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation, WDSU reported. Louisiana law requires local fire chiefs to investigate the cause and origin of every fire and report suspicious circumstances to the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal, which then assigns deputy fire marshals to direct further investigation, per Justia Law. No findings on ignition source or building safety conditions have been released.
The American Red Cross is assisting those displaced by the fire, per the same WDSU report. The organization's Southeast Louisiana Chapter provides round-the-clock disaster response, according to the American Red Cross.
A Small City Feeling a Big Loss
Harahan, a Jefferson Parish city with 9,116 residents in 2020, faces a significant disruption as 12 residents lose housing.
