Den of Muses: Served Lightly Toasted and Half-Baked
As if August was not hot enough, there was a fire at the Krewe du Vieux Den, the Den of Muses, on Tuesday afternoon, August 4, 2009. The NOFD responded quickly and put it out before it could get out of control. One of the First Responders to arrive was the team of Engine Number 9, which mystically is the same number of Muses ( Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania ). They said that another five minutes it would have been much worse. As it was, the fire was localized to the SE corner.
The only injury reported was one firefighter who was treated for a broken bone in his foot. We are thankful there were no other injuries. The floats of Seeds of Decline, LEWD and TOKIN were damaged. CRUDE was somewhat seared. Most of the memorabilia and artwork on the ground surrounding those floats were unscathed. Other than the phallus of Fannie Mae on LEWD’s float, no other dicks were harmed, although there may be a few cases of prickly heat that will develop.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. There is some roof damage which includes one or more of the steel trusses warped due to the heat. The electrical lines that went to the back of the building are melted and electricity to the Den and the Den owners’ other warehouse next door is now cut off. Service will not be turned back on until all the damage has been repaired. There was also smoke and water damage, the extent of which still needs to be determined.
Outside of Den after the fire. Architect Street Alley
Outside of Den after the fire. Royal Street “Look kids. It’s still there! ”
Once the damage inspections have been completed, insurance aspects determined, and the building deemed safe for occupancy, cleanup and repairs will begin. It is fortunate that the float damage was not extensive because the Krewe is a non-profit organization and runs on less money than you can cram in a freezer. Regardless, we will certainly be all fired-up for the parade next year.