Family and friends now begin the hard part of sorting through the rubble, looking for anything that can be salvaged following a 7-alarm fire that damaged a St. Charles Avenue mansion. As that happens, authorities search for answers as to what caused the fire.
“Seeing it like this is like Christmas being cancelled almost,” said Deanna du Pont of New Orleans as she looked upon the property.
Three days after a fire ravaged through 2525 St. Charles Avenue, people are still in awe.
“The people got out thank God,” said Kate McGrath of New Orleans. “There was no loss of life and that’s really the priority.”
“So many of our families go way back,” added du Pont. “My family goes back 280-300 years in New Orleans and it’s almost like losing a family member that’s been around almost from the beginning.”
Even from the sky you could see the devastation, something many can’t put into words.
“Heartbreaking,” suggested du Pont. “Gut-wrenching.”
Fire crews Friday continued their fight to protect the home, even putting paneling around it to keep parade goers out. Also seen were family and friends clearing debris. They were busy looking for memories that could be saved.
“We’re salvaging what we can,” said Christopher Montgomery. “Pillars, doors, windows, all of that. If there’s a piece we can work on, try and salvage it, save it, so it can be used.”
The focus now shifts to what started the blaze, and authorities say their attention is still on the basement.
“You’re literally picking through the debris and trying to find the components that were nearest the point of origin,” said Tim McConnell, NOFD Fire Chief. “They tell a tale. It’s a science and you let the evidence take you where it takes you.”
As their investigation continues, people are looking ahead hopeful for the home’s revival.
“I think where there’s a will there’s a way,” said McGrath.
Because while the damage was significant, they feel it wasn’t enough to burn this family’s spirit of keeping history and tradition alive.
“I think it stands as a reminder to all of us we can conquer, we can prevail, we are resilient,” said du Pont. “Ten years from now, newcomers who come to the area will not realize what happened to this. They’ll still see that historical marker on the gate, they will still realize it’s a historical house. And while they may not know the background, we will, and we’ll still look at as something that like everything else in New Orleans, something you rebuild and you conquer.”