Key Takeaways
- A two-alarm fire in New Orleans’ St. Claude neighborhood destroyed the Kids of Excellence Day Care Learning Center and damaged a nearby Airbnb.
- The center has served local families since 1999 and now faces a $1.1 million rebuilding effort.
- A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support recovery, with donations already coming in.
Early Wednesday (Oct. 22) morning, the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) responded to a massive two-alarm fire that tore through parts of the city’s St. Claude neighborhood — damaging an Airbnb and destroying Kids of Excellence, a long-standing Black-owned day care learning center.
According to NOFD, firefighters were dispatched at 5:19 a.m. after receiving reports of a structure fire in the 2600 block of North Villere Street. By the time crews arrived four minutes later, flames had already engulfed a single-story Airbnb. The blaze quickly spread to the nearby day care and a third, unoccupied home. “All four residents evacuated safely prior to NOFD’s arrival,” officials said in a press release. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, as the day care had not yet opened for the day.
Firefighters called a second alarm at 5:31 a.m., deploying 17 units and 46 personnel to contain the fire. It was brought under control by 7:06 a.m. While the cause remains under investigation, officials noted that the proximity of the buildings made it difficult to determine where the blaze began.
Community rallies behind Kids of Excellence after devastating fire
For more than two decades, Kids of Excellence Learning Center has served as a cornerstone in the 8th Ward and Bywater communities. Founded in 1999 by lifelong New Orleanian Kristi Givens, the center grew from one site into three nationally accredited, five-star early learning centers.
In a message posted to its GoFundMe page, the organization wrote, “Our beloved Kids of Excellence Franklin Center was destroyed in a devastating fire... Yet our building, and decades of memories, learning, and love, were lost.”
The day care’s team said insurance will only cover a portion of the damages, leaving an estimated $1.1 million gap for rebuilding efforts. Funds raised will go toward securing temporary classrooms, replacing materials, and supporting teachers and staff. As of Friday (Oct. 24), the GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $3,800 toward its $500,000 goal.