What was meant to be a time of celebration turned into a night of devastation for dozens of Algiers residents as two separate fires on New Year’s Day left more than 30 people displaced and raised serious questions about the city’s infrastructure.
The most recent blaze broke out just before 11 p.m. Thursday on MacArthur Boulevard. Authorities confirmed that the fire resulted in one injury and the deaths of four family cats.
While the investigation into that scene continues, it was an earlier fire—occurring just an hour into the New Year—that has left victims demanding answers from city officials.
A race against time
Just after 1 a.m. on Thursday, Jacqueen Harrington arrived at her mother’s home on West Park Court to find it engulfed in flames. Home security footage captured the harrowing moments her family raced out the front door as smoke filled the air…