Fire At The Krewe du Vieux Den

I have a few large regrets about leaving New Orleans.  Foremost is being a physically-there member of Krewe du Vieux.  Last afternoon, a portion of our beloved den was damaged in a fire.  I posted this to the NOLA Bloggers listserv a few minutes ago:

Just got off the phone with Ray Kern, captain of Krewe du Vieux.  The fire was EXTREMELY localized just taking the Seeds, Tokin and LEWD floats as well as the electrical and transluscent roof on that side of the den.  In fact, all the memorabilia and artwork on the ground surrounding those floats were UNscathed.  Shay’s metalworks studio next door was completely destroyed, sadly. The two-alarm fire was contained quickly and didn’t spread, but until the electrical to that end is fixed, the power to the entire den will remain off.  Let’s hope insurance comes back quickly and with the right amount of cash.

The inspectors and ATF (commercial building fires now require ATF investigation) are still investigating the cause of the fire.  The cause of the fire is still completely undetermined, so anything you hear until Ray gets the final word from the inspectors is speculation.

Many krewe members have already stepped up to help, but Ray will be sending out an email requesting help from skilled (emphasis on skilled) electrical and roofing workers.  The whole building needs a wiring update anyway, so this is the chance to do it right.

More when I hear it.  Poor Ray, he’s still fixing his homes from the flood and now this.  Needless to say, he’s overwhelmed.  All he wants from you who love the krewe are good thoughts and vibes.

Oh, and get this, the den is called the Den of Muses. How many Muses? 9.  The number of the fire truck that showed up.  #9.  Coincidence, I think not.