7 hours Ago
SHREVEPORT, La. - Four times in less than 24 hours—that's how many times Shreveport fire crews responded to fires at the abandoned Oak Meadows Apartments. The Shreveport Fire Department is familiar with Oak Meadows because just this year crews have responded to nine fires at the complex along with several other abandoned apartments that have also gone up in flames.
Four fires at one apartment complex in less than 24 hours could be a record. But this is not a record Mayor Tom Arceneaux, the Shreveport Fire Department, and the Shreveport Police Department are pleased with. "I feel very frustrated that these fires continue to happen.
There is a new owner, and I have talked to the owner today to see if we can't cooperate to have greater security for the place and also figure out how we're going to respond in the future," said Arceneaux. A big question is why can't the city demolish the apartments? A lot of it has to do with the owners of the apartments. "Most of the time, we don't want the cost of that to devolve onto the taxpayers of Shreveport.
We want to be the responsibility of the owners. We try and work with them," said Arceneaux. SFD said every time a fire happens at abandoned apartments, it's dangerous for the crews that respond.
"Every time we have to commit our resources to suppress these fires in these abandoned buildings, our firefighters are exposed to potential hazards such as floors giving way, walls collapsing, and all these things. So it's important that our chiefs and our safety officers make sure our firefighters operate safely," said Shreveport Fire Department Division Chief Robert Taggart. While there are some cameras monitoring Oak Meadows, Arceneaux wants more in that area paid for by the owners.
"We do have some camera footage that we're examining, of course, from exterior cameras. One of the possibilities is to install some cameras, hopefully at the expense of the owner. That would be tied into the Real-Time Crime Center so that we might be able to catch somebody," said Arceneaux.
The Shreveport Fire Department is also asking for the help of citizens: if you see anything suspicious happening at any of the abandoned apartments around town, report it to the police. There's not supposed to be anyone on these properties..
