Toddler dies after Metairie apartment fire

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) - A 3-year-old girl died after she became trapped inside a burning apartment in Metairie Sunday evening (June 23), according to a Jefferson Parish Fire official.

The toddler was inside an apartment on the second floor of a building in the 6300 block of Riverside Drive, according to Dave Tibbetts, the East Bank Consolidated Fire Department chief. Tibbets said first responders administered CPR on the scene before bringing the child to University Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead.

The fire was reported just at 5:54 p.m. and a second alarm was issued around 6 p.m., Tibbetts said. By 6:30 p.m., the fire was under control and the flames were extinguished by 6:45 p.m.

Tibbetts said the flames were contained to one of the building’s units, but said a number of other apartments sustained smoke and water damage. As of 8:30 p.m., Tibbetts said the exact number of units and displaced residents was being assessed by the Red Cross.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Tibbetts said. No other injuries were reported.

Copyright 2019 WVUE. All rights reserved.