The New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) responded to a two-alarm fire at Peace Lake Towers, a six-story senior apartment community at 9025 Chef Menteur Highway, on Sunday, shortly before 8 p.m., leading to a full evacuation of the building.
Firefighters said the first unit arrived and located the fire in an apartment on the sixth floor of the east wing. Firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, containing most of the fire damage to the apartment of origin.
Other personnel focused on evacuating all residents, including several individuals classified as disabled or with limited mobility.
Investigators said during the initial search for trapped residents, firefighters discovered that the occupant of the apartment where the fire started had jumped from the sixth floor.
The adult female was found in mud and shrubbery at ground level directly below her apartment. She appeared to have sustained limited injuries from the jump and was transported to a local hospital by New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS) for evaluation.
A New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer who assisted in evacuating residents before the arrival of firefighters was treated for smoke inhalation and transported for further evaluation.
NOFD said fire was brought under control at 8:31 p.m., with 20 NOFD units,
A second alarm was called at 8:38 p.m. to provide additional manpower for evacuating residents and assisting them in returning to their apartments.
The entire sixth floor of the east wing and several floors below are expected to be temporarily uninhabitable due to smoke and water damage.
Entergy was requested to assess whether power could be restored to the affected wing. The American Red Cross was also called to assist residents who may be displaced.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined at this time.
