New Orleans Fire Department battled a 2-alarm fire in the lower French Quarter Thursday morning.
Crews responded to the fire at 5:45 a.m. and upon arrival found heavy smoke emanating from a rear apartment of a 10-unit condo complex in the 1200 block of Chartres Street.
A second alarm was sounded at 6:53 a.m. for additional manpower to assist.
According to the NOFD, the building was under renovation and had recently been secured. The NOFD claimed they saw signs of forced entry when they arrived on the scene. Neighbors told officials that squatters frequented the property and that they’d return within hours of being run off.
On Jan. 1, the NOFD responded to a fire at an identical apartment building undergoing similar renovations next door.
There were no reports of any injuries and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
