The former Kenner High School building was heavily damaged and may be a total loss after an overnight fire, officials said.
There was no power source to the building, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office will be asked to conduct an arson investigation once the building is deemed safe to enter, the city of Kenner said in a news release.
Around 12:30 a.m. Monday, firefighters were called to the building at 1601 Rev. Richard Wilson Drive and found the former high school “fully involved,” the news release said. Flames and smoke were coming out of the second-floor windows and the roof.
Later Monday morning, the fire was under control but still burning.
Acting Fire Chief Stan Genovese said the old high school may be considered a loss. No injuries were reported.
The old Kenner High School was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. It was the first school in Kenner when it opened in 1924 for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The last senior class graduated in 1955, and it then became a junior high school until it finally closed for good in 1996, according to the news release.
“I want to thank the Kenner Fire Department, Kenner Police Department and East Jefferson EMS who responded, along with the Office of Emergency Management,” Mayor Ben Zahn said in the news release. “It’s sad because we were on our way to replacing the roof and had future plans for restoring the building.”
Residents in the area should stay inside with windows closed because of smoke still coming from the building, the news release said.
Officials at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport have also been notified because a light wind is carrying smoke toward the control tower and runway.
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