SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Shreveport firefighters responded to four separate house fires early Friday morning, including at least one they believe started under suspicious circumstances.
In the course of the busy morning of back-to-back calls, the Shreveport Fire Department says one firefighter suffered minor injuries.
The first call came in at 3:41 a.m. at a house in the 2200 block of San Jacinto Ave near Darien St. Firefighters arrived to find the wood-framed house fully engulfed in flames. The home had been boarded up, with no utilities, and appeared to be vacant. It took firefighters just under an hour to bring the flames under control.
Firefighters were dispatched to a second fire just before 5 a.m. in the 2300 block of Portland Ave., which SFD notes is less than a mile from the first fire. Firefighters arrived to find a wood-framed home fully engulfed in flames. The home appeared to be vacant with no utilities. Fire Investigators noticed candles were possibly being used by someone occupying the structure, but when fire crews arrived, there were no occupants or witnesses nearby. It took nearly an hour to get that fire under control.
The third fire was dispatched at 5:14 a.m. near the corner of Columbia St. and Highland Ave. Fire crews arrived at 5:17 am and found a wood-framed, detached garage fully engulfed in flames behind a home in the 500 block of Columbia St.
SFD says it was reported that two men had been given permission to stay there. One of them was there when firefighters arrived and told them he was unsure of the whereabouts of the other occupant. Fire crews searched several times before extinguishing the structure to the slab. It is believed that the second occupant escaped prior to the fire department’s arrival. That fire is also under investigation.
The fourth fire was dispatched at 5:47 am in the 3900 block of Huston St. The homeowner called it in after noticing light smoke inside the home. The homeowner and four others got out of the home before fire crews arrive at 5:53 a.m. to find light smoke coming from the roof eaves. After further investigation, a fire was extinguished in the attic, leaving the home with moderate damage.
“As normal practice, the Communications Division backfills fire stations to adequately keep communities safe and decrease response times when time consuming incidents occur,” SFD said in a statement detailing the busy night of fire calls.
