New Orleans, La - The old Grand Palace Hotel is now far from grand. It's full of debris from demolition work and ash from a late-night fire.
Friday afternoon, demolition crews were back to work at the site. They are continuing the deconstruction process ahead of a scheduled July 22 implosion.
"The construction crews said that the structure is structurally sound and it shouldn't delay the implosion at all," said Michael Williams with the New Orleans Fire Department.
In the darkness Thursday night, 23 units with 45 firefighters attacked the fire from the perimeter. When daylight arrived, crews went inside the old building. It was a dangerous mission.
"Because of the demolition, the building was already weakened," said Williams. "The fire may have weakened some areas, some of the floors had collapsed so the firefighters were going inch by inch."
They found lingering hot spots in elevator shafts on the 3rd, 5th, 9th and 17th floors of the 17-story building. Ladder trucks flushed the shafts with water and when the smoke cleared, the NOFD left the scene. NOFD officials say the situation is now being monitored by fire control experts with the onsite demolition crew.
The implosion of the old Palace is a move in the name of progress to make way for the new University Medical Center.
Photo by Bernel Davis
