SHREVEPORT, La. -- A serious fire sent plumes of smoke billowing from the multi-unit building housing Woody’s Home for Veterans early Wednesday. The building is located on Jordan Street in the Highland neighborhood.

The blaze triggered smoke alarms, prompting a rapid response from nearly three dozen firefighters. All residents inside were safely evacuated as crews worked to identify the source of the fire.

Witness John Lewis described the scene: “We were hearing all that, fire trucks go by, you know, normally, you hear all that type of stuff. But when I saw them stopping in the street right here, we got up and came to investigate.”

Daniel McDonnell, administrative assistant to the fire chief, explained the challenges firefighters faced with a residential building that's essentially a co

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