News

October 17, 2025 | From New Orleans Fire Department

Smoke From One-Alarm Salvage Yard Fire, Seen Across the City

On Friday, October 17, 2025, the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) was dispatched to a report of smoke in the area of 10300 block of Old Gentilly Rd. NOFD Fire Operations personnel arrived on the scene of a vehicle salvage yard, Car Crushers (10301 Old Gentilly Rd.) at 1:35 p.m. The fire involved an area of crushed and salvaged vehicles almost as wide as a city block. Dirt and gravel access roads within the yard and the positioning of fire apparatuses to surround the incident scene, prohibited the likelihood of the fire extending to other areas of this facility. At its peak, the smoke plume from this incident could be seen from across the city.
Eight NOFD units, supported by twenty-five NOFD Fire Operations personnel, were used to bring this incident under control at 4:34 p.m. Fires of this nature are often tedious and difficult to extinguish because of the combustibles contained inside the crushed vehicles. This fire was physically demanding for a one-alarm contingent, and we commend our members for their efforts. There are no injuries reported, and the cause of the fire is being investigated.
Call Received: 1:27 p.m.
Dispatched: 1:27 p.m.
Arrival: 1:35 p.m.
Under Control: 4:34 p.m.
NOFD Units: 8
Fire Ops Personnel: 25
Injuries: None Reported
Cause: Under Investigation