HARVEY, La. — WWL Louisiana has reported on two house fires at abandoned homes in New Orleans this week. Well, it happened again this time at a house on the Westbank.
According to Jefferson Parish, there were no signs of anyone living there when it caught fire. A neighbor said the fire caused damage to her house and she's calling on the parish to do something.
The remnants of what was once a house stands on Max Drive in Harvey. According to the Marrero Estelle Fire Department, the fire started around 3 a.m. on Monday. The department reported no one was home and the house had no power, gas, or water connected.
A neighbor who asked that we protect her identity said the house became such an eyesore that she moved, telling WWL Louisiana, "The house has just been in terrible shape for years."
She still owns the house and rents it out, her rental property is next door to the burnt house. She said her tenants are, "Elderly tenants... and they deserve a right like anyone else to feel comfortable where they're living at."
She said the fire caused the siding on her house to buckle.
According to code enforcement data, the house on Max Drive has been getting code enforcement violations since 2012, from junk vehicles to weeds, most recently code enforcement issued a violation, deeming the house a dangerous building.
Jefferson Parish Code Compliance and Enforcement said they've been cutting the grass for about a year, most recently on June 19th.
JP CCE said, "In March, we received a complaint of vagrants occupying the property without water." It was "inspected three times in March, and again on April 8th when it was noted, “still no signs of anybody occupying the building.”
Those living around the now fire-ravaged home said they just want property owners to be held accountable, the neighbor said, "When is something going to be done about it, it's been going on for years."
The cause of the fire is being investigated by Jefferson Parish fire investigators.
Jefferson Parish Code Compliance and Enforcement said, "Following the fire which damaged the dwelling, the Department of Code Compliance & Enforcement’s Dangerous Building Abatement section issued another violation on July 8, 2024 (24-914801) due to the damage. The normal protocol for a fire-damaged house that is not in imminent danger of further collapsing (or other additional issues) is the property owner is provided 30 days prior to the parish taking additional steps in order to allow the property insurance to process the claim. The Department of Code Compliance & Enforcement’s Dangerous Building Abatement section is monitoring the situation."
Councilman Byron Lee said, “As Councilman, I, as well as my staff are committed to protecting our neighborhoods. Whenever matters of this nature are brought to our attention from constituents, they are reported to Code Enforcement, whose role is to abate problems such as these. We work closely with Code Enforcement and the Sheriff’s Department to ensure our neighborhoods remain safe. We work hard to protect Woodmere Subdivision, as well as all of District 3 from crimes and unnecessary intrusions.”
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