Firewalls, mutual aide credited with saving building

Despite the intensity of the fire when the first units arrived on scene, firefighters were able to save the majority of a two-story office building that caught fire Friday evening.

James Hartman, spokesman for Fire District 12, said the inclusion of firewalls in the buildings construction and the assistance the department received from other departments enabled firefighters to save approximately two-thirds of the building.

Firefighters with Fire District 12 were assisted by firefighters from Covington Fire, Fire District 4 (Mandeville), Fire District 8 (Abita Springs), Fire District 5 (Folsom) and Fire District 13 (Goodbee) as well as personnel from Acadian Ambulance, St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office and Covington Police as they battled the blaze at 2401 U.S. Highway 190 Friday evening.

The building housed Allstate Insurance Offices, D&S Surveyors, Inc., Law Office of Darrell R. Sims, a massage business and formerly housed Delta College.

A building at the back of the property, which now houses Delta College, was not harmed. The first call reporting the fire came in at 6:09 p.m., and the first units were on the scene by 6:14. The first firefighters on scene observed flames coming from the second story on the two-story office building and heavy black smoke billowing from the roof and windows. It appears the fire started in the front end of the building closest to the highway on the second floor.

Firewalls near the center of the building prevent much of the fire from spreading to the rear of the building.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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Firewalls, mutual aide credited with saving building