Story/Photos by BRIAN CRAWFORD
Shreveport Fire Department

Shreveport firefighters battled a three-alarm apartment fire this morning that left one building destroyed and residents glad to have escaped with no serious injuries. The first call reporting a single apartment fire at the Briarwood Apartments, 4025 Golf Links, came into the Caddo Parish 911 center at 4:23 a.m.

Minutes later, when the first fire company arrived, several upstairs apartments were totally engulfed in flames and some upstairs occupants were trapped on an outside balcony. Fire Captain J.D. Warren and his crew, firefighters Ed Carey and Corey Bell from Engine 14, immediately called for a second-alarm and laddered the outside of the building to rescue three residents - two adults and one child. As additional firefighters arrived, they along with Shreveport Police officers began running apartment to apartment of building 11 to evacuate remaining occupants.

As the fire spread rapidly through the attic of the building consuming five or six more apartments, it became a race for firefighters to try and head it off before it consumed the entire building. Crews fiercely attacked the fire internally with hose lines and externally with large fire engine mounted water cannons. As water poured in and over the building, additional evacuations of two adjacent buildings were occurring simultaneously.

Several injured residents were treated by fire department paramedics at the scene for burns. Three adult occupants sustained first and second degree burns: one patient to the back of his neck; one to a hand and arm; one to the soles of her feet. None were transported. One patient, Alice Hill, 41 was treated and transported to a local hospital by ambulance for a medical condition exacerbated by the incident. A Shreveport Police officer, David Perkins, sustained a deep laceration to his leg after kicking in a window while evacuating residents. He was treated but not transported.

As the fire raged on, additional fire engine companies were called out at 5:03 a.m., placing the blaze in the criteria for a third-alarm incident. As more than 50 firefighters from 20 pieces of various equipment fought the fire and kept it from leaping over to nearby buildings, it finally began showed signs of going out around 5:45 a.m. Firefighters had made a remarkable stop on the fire and saved the remainder of the building as well as other close by apartments.

The fire was not officially listed as under control until 7:00 a.m. Based on early reports, fire department officials believe the fire may have started in upstairs apartment 109. Resident Sheila Black told fire investigators that she found a fire in her apartment kitchen this morning. Black then ran next door to get help and a fire extinguisher. When Black returned the fire had spread and smoke thickened as she attempted to douse the flames with the extinguisher. Black then abandoned her attempts to extinguish the fire and exited the apartment and down the outside stairwell with other family members. Black is the resident listed earlier as having sustained burns to her feet.

With this type of fire in a multistoried multi-family dwelling, coupled with the time of day, early morning when most people are sleeping, the rapid response and attack of the fire department and immediate evacuations with assistance from Shreveport Police clearly minimized the potential for loss of life.

It was estimated that 75 or so residents were evacuated. Fire investigators are still on the scene of the incident at this time. As soon as an official cause is listed, it will be released.