NEW ORLEANS — More than a dozen families lost their home and most of their belongings after a massive apartment fire at an Algiers complex moved quickly and destroyed about everything in its path Monday morning.
The fire broke out about 4:45 a.m at the Cypress Run apartment complex on Tullis Drive.
Residents who were awakened moved quickly to get out and all were fortunate to do so, but 31 residents lost their places to stay. A firefighter on the scene said those battling the fire had water supply issues and residents told WWL-TV that the closest hydrant wasn’t working.
“He said ma’am, it’s a fire, you have to get out,” said Lisa Vaughn of being awakened by a firefighter knocking on her door. “By the time I got down the stairs and turned around it was engulfed in flames. We have absolutely nothing.”
Vaughn had just moved to Cypress Run six months ago after her previous complex had a fire.
“I came here with the little stuff I had and now I have absolutely nothing,” she said. “I have a disabled son. He’s 26 years old. He has autism and doesn’t know what’s going on.”
Firefighters say they believe the fire began in an upstairs apartment and the tenant was home. She told firefighters that she was getting ready to take a shower when a smoke alarm went off.
“My mom just called me hysterically saying, ‘it’s on fire. It’s on fire,’” said Senedra Henry, whose mother had made Cypress Run her home for 10 years and who couldn’t save anything. “She just can’t stop crying,” said Henry.
There were 23 fire department units and 54 personnel fighting the three-alarm fire for several hours.
“A lot of things could have been saved had the fire hydrant been working but it was not working, so 16 families have to suffer,” said Henry.
“They couldn’t fight the fire, so I just stood there and watched everything I have from a little girl go up in flames,” added Vaughn.
With little to their names now, the families impacted by the fire were being helped by Red Cross and trying to figure out where to turn next.
“I prayed for a minute,” said Vaughn. “I have me and my son and that makes the difference.”