NEW ORLEANS --
New Orleans firefighters responded to a three-alarm fire on Wednesday night at the Jean Gordon Elementary School at 6101 Chatham Dr.
The fire began at about 7:33 p.m. and was brought under control at 8:56 p.m., the New Orleans Fire Department said.
NOFD personnel arrived at the scene to find fire coming from the roof and second floor windows of the two-story structure. Authorities said 68 firefighters contained the fire to one section of the school's second floor, preventing it from reaching nearby homes.
The second alarm was called at 7:38 p.m. and the third alarm at 7:53 p.m.
The Recovery School District property, which had been closed since Hurricane Katrina suffered severe fire damage to the second floor and partial roof collapse. Officials said the school had been scheduled for demolition in the next 30 to 45 days.
A resident in the area reported seeing vagrants on the scene prior to the fire and noted that the property had several signs of vandalism.
Authorities said no one was injured and that the cause of the fire is being investigated.
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