[StBernard] Suspicious fire hits Chalmette complex

[Westley Annis]

Suspicious fire hits Chalmette complex
Building unoccupied since Katrina flooding 
Tuesday, September 12, 2006

>From staff reports


A suspicious two-alarm fire Monday heavily damaged a Chalmette apartment
building unoccupied since it was flooded by Hurricane Katrina, the St.
Bernard Parish Fire Department said. 

Firefighters sent to 8720 Livingstone Ave. at 5:23 p.m. found heavy fire
coming from a bedroom of a second-floor apartment in the Vista Village
apartments, Deputy Chief Leon Lea said. 

The fire progressed to the attic, into another second-floor apartment, and
through the roof. It was under control at 6:14 p.m. 

 
The building, at the corner of Madison Avenue, is one of three two-story
brick structures in the 24-unit complex, formerly known as the Colomb
Apartments, a neighborhood landmark since the 1950s. 

There were no utilities to the buildings. 

The fire did not affect the closed C.F. Rowley Elementary School across the
street or a nearby FEMA trailer park. 

With the heat and low manpower, firefighters did a good job confining the
fire to the second floor and keeping it from spreading to other buildings,
Lea said.