Things really heated up at the Jesuit house this year for feast of St. Ignatius. Around 9 a.m. July 31st a fire started on the third floor of Loyola’s Jesuit house located on St. Charles Avenue. Loyola Professor and Rector of New Orleans Jesuit Community, The Rev. Peter Rogers S.J., went to the scene after receiving a call from The Rev. John Stacer, S.J., a former Loyola professor, telling him “the fire alarm has gone off and there’s smoke coming out of the house,” Rogers said. The New Orleans Fire Department was quick to respond to the alarm. “By the time I got into the parking lot, two fire trucks had already pulled up,” Rogers said. One of the first fire crews into the building was Squrt 16. Among them was former Loyola student Capt. Jon Bialas. “I didn’t realize it was their building until I arrived on the scene and saw the Jesuits out front,” Bialas said. “But it only distracted me for a brief second.” Rogers recognized him as a former student in the moments before Bialas entered the burning building. “When you’re in the fire you’re trying to think of a thousand things at once and prevent yourself from having tunnel vision,” Bialas said. “That’s when you get into trouble.” According to Rogers the fire started on the third floor and spread to the attic, damaging the roof. “We did a good job,” Bialas said. “All the men worked their hearts out and we were able to salvage most of the house.”
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