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Fire Log
2005

"Common Occurrence on Common Street"
by Paul Schaetzle, Gong Club, Inc., Jersey City

Following several hours of heavy rain and thunderstorms, the dawn of Thursday, December 15, 2005 broke crisp and clear over New Orleans. However, the rising sun wasn't the only thing to brighten the skys of the Crescent City.

Fire Alarm transmitted an alarm for a building fire at 717 Common St. between St. Charles Ave. and Carondelet St. This location was about 200 feet from the Courtyard by Marriott, across St. Charles Ave., where I am staying: my 8th trip to New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. As I started to get dressed, Eng. Co. 29 reported fire showing from the 3rd floor of a three story building. Fire Alarm acknowledged and announced Strike Team 1 and an additional District Chief were responding on the Working Fire. The Strike Team consists of five tankers from places as distant as Nevada and New Mexico, as there are still large sections of the city without water.

Water was no problem here as all hydrants were working normally in the Central Business District. As I turned out the door of the hotel and made a quick right onto Common St., Eng. Co. 29 was starting their deck gun to darken down heavy fire blowing out the three windows of the top floor. Fire building was a 3 story brick, vacant commercial structure, 20' x 60'. Exposure 2 was a similar attached and Exposure 4 was the 12 story concrete Royal St. Charles Hotel. A stiff wind from the north was pushing the fire and smoke into the hotel. Deputy Chief Schultz ordered a partial evacuation of the hotel and transmitted a 2nd Alarm upon arrival.

Companies mounted an interior attack with a 2 1/2" handline and two 1 3/4" handlines. Fire on the third floor was darkened down with the deck gun as lines were advanced into the upper floors. Chief Schultz ordered Eng. Co. 7 to back their apparatus out of Common St. and had Eng. Co. 16 position their American LaFrance Squrt in front of the building. Ground ladders were thrown to each floor and Eng. Co. 1 operated a handline from a ground ladder into the third floor while the Squrt was being positioned. However, handlines made the top floor and proceeded to extinguish the fire with no need to charge the Squrt.

Fire was under control at 0704 and declared "Out" by Chief Schultz at 0759 hours. Engine Companies 29 and 14 wrapped hydrants at the corners and forward laid 5" supply lines to the fire, apparently SOP for the NOFD. The tankers on the Strike Team stood by and were released when the fire was under control.

Chief Schultz ran the fire without an aide, common practice in the NOFD, keeping track of the companies with a clipboard in front of the building. After the fire was knocked down, I spoke to the Chief who said that a 2nd Alarm occurred in the same building in July. The building was occupied at that time and fire started in a restaurant in the ground floor. He added that our friend, District Chief Chris Mickal, had that fire. Chief Schultz said that Chris got off yesterday and "didn't know where he was; Chris usually makes all the fires!". The Chief was very friendly and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas back home in Jersey City.

Response:

0607 Box Eng. Co. 29-7-14 Lad. Co. 2-8 Flying Squad 1 District Chief 504 Deputy Chief

0611 WF Strike Team 1 District Chief 503

0614 2-2 Eng Co. 3-11-1-16 Lad. Co. 11 Flying Squad 2

0704 Fire Under Control

0759 Fire Declared "Out"