NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A 25-year-old man, apparently homeless, was arrested Wednesday for setting a fire for warmth that ended up blanketing part of the city in smoke and forcing the closure of historic Canal Street, the city’s fire chief said.
Darren Denley was booked on municipal charges of setting fires and crossing police lines, Fire Chief Timothy McConnell said in a statement late Wednesday.
“Mr. Denley set a fire in the alcove of a business in the 1000 block of Canal St. in order to keep warm,” McConnell said. “The fire then extended into the building and grew unchecked for over two hours until it caused a window in the building to break. At that time, an employee in another business on that block became aware of the fire.”
The blaze broke out in a largely empty four-story building and spread to an adjacent building. Flames were no longer visible and smoke had greatly diminished by daybreak, but firefighters kept steady streams of water pouring onto the structures from ladder trucks and from the street. The fire was declared under control shortly before noon.
“Due to an extraordinary response by the firefighters, this catastrophic fire that had the potential to turn deadly was contained. Numerous shelter facilities are available throughout the city, and people seeking warmth are encouraged to seek shelter at one of these locations when necessary,” McConnell said.