NEW ORLEANS, La. — A man was taken to a hospital with third-degree burns Friday evening after a car went up in flames in a driveway near East Carrollton, the New Orleans Fire Department said.
Crews were first sent around 6:13 p.m. to check on reports of smoke on Spruce Street, in the 7800 block. The call was switched to a medical response while units were on the way.
When firefighters pulled up, the car was fully involved and flames were starting to reach an occupied two-story duplex beside the driveway. The department called for a full one-alarm response to protect the home.
Firefighters held the fire mostly to the vehicle, though the outside of the duplex took mild to moderate damage. In all, the department used six units and 20 fire operations staff, and the blaze was under control at about 6:30 p.m.
As crews fought the fire, they found a man close to the car with severe burns. New Orleans EMS took him to a hospital. He was alert and responding at the scene, but his condition was not known Friday night.
NOFD investigators and the Louisiana State Fire Marshal are working to determine what started the fire. No other injuries were reported.
It is not the first serious fire in the area. In March 2024, a two-alarm blaze on Hickory Street in East Carrollton damaged three homes and drew 16 NOFD units and 47 firefighters, though nobody was hurt that time.
The Friday call began as a report of smoke and turned into a rescue within minutes, a reminder that a car fire parked close to a house can threaten the home and anyone nearby.
Section: More New Orleans LA crime news
Filed under: New Orleans LA Public Safety News
