Overview

• Flames tore through a three-story complex on Canal Street around 5:30 a.m. Thursday, and the building was fully engulfed when crews arrived.
• Officials said it took more than an hour to bring the blaze under control, and at least half a dozen people were injured with several hospitalized.
• City and county teams with the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Canal Alliance are providing beds, meals, and casework at the community center.
• Neighbors helped evacuate residents, including a volunteer who used an extension ladder to bring several people down safely.
• Authorities report more than 50 people displaced, many from Spanish-speaking immigrant families, and are prioritizing monetary and gift-card donations through Canal Alliance as the cause remains under investigation.