Katrina: Fires Along New Orleans Waterfront

As if New Orleans needed more to deal with, there are now 50 to 60 fires burning along the watefront, further hampering recovery efforts.

Fires burn along river; rescue effort grinds on (CNN)

As the struggle continued to rescue victims from floodwaters and evacuate people from New Orleans, two major fires raged along the waterfront Saturday morning.

Photo: Fires are blazing Saturday in New Orleans, but firefighting resources are thin and the hydrants are dry.

One of them was engulfing an industrial district on the river and was threatening to proceed warehouse by warehouse along the stretch.
Photo: Black smoke covers the skyline of New Orleans from fires along the waterfront Saturday.

The black smoke covered the skyline of the city, where firefighting resources are stretched thin and the hydrants are dry. There was no sign that the 50-to-60 blazes were being fought.

I’ve never seen anything like this.

FILED UNDER: Uncategorized, ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is a Professor of Security Studies. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Bill says:

    Why can’t they use helicopters used for forest fire fighting? The availibility and proximity of water is not a problem.

  2. GSR says:

    I’m still having a hard time believing what my eyes are seeing….This stuff doesn’t happen in America but my eyes and ears are clearly telling me otherwise.

  3. Lastango says:

    My guess would be the fires were set by looters to create a diversion.

  4. Jonathan says:

    they are using helicopters with buckets on them when they’re available…….I think it’s a lil more important to get the people out first.