[StBernard] Fires reported at two Chalmette homes

[Westley Annis]

Fires reported at two Chalmette homes
Posted by St. Bernard bureau October 31, 2007 10:04AM
Two Chalmette houses being rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina caught fire in
separate incidents Wednesday, authorities said. 

Repair work at one of the homes, 3917 Despaux Drive, was nearly complete,
St. Bernard Parish Fire Department officials said. Wednesday's fire caused
extensive damage, Deputy Chief Glenn Ellis said. 

The other house that caught fire, at 2113 Congressman Hebert St., received
less damage when it caught fire, Ellis said. 


Ellis said the Despaux Drive fire was reported at 5:23 a.m. and quickly went
to two alarms. It was fully involved when firefighters arrived. 

"The house was under construction. It was almost finished and it looked like
the family was about to move back in,'' Ellis said. 

The cause is under investigation, but Ellis said investigators think it
might have been electrical. No one was hurt and firefighters were able to
prevent the blaze from spreading to occupied homes next door, Ellis said. 

The fire on Congressman Hebert was reported at 9:33 a.m. The interior of a
wall caught fire when a plumber was using a torch to sweat pipes, Ellis
said. 

No one was hurt. Damage was isolated to the wall, he said. 

Ellis said it's disheartening for residents returning to the parish to
suffer such setbacks. 

"It's devastating,'' he said. "We're all going through this. It's terrible
to see something like this happen.''