NATION IN BRIEF : LOUISIANA : Blaze Spreads From Shop to 3 Homes

An intense predawn fire that began in an automobile repair shop in New Orleans damaged three houses, forced the evacuation of 75 to 100 people and cut power to a neighborhood before it was brought under control. Flames shot 150 feet into the air and pumper trucks had to use hydrants blocks away from the working-class neighborhood near downtown because its water mains could not carry enough water to the blaze, fire officials said. One firefighter was treated at a hospital and released after he was injured in a fall, a city fire department spokesman said. No other injuries were reported. Flames spread from the Napoleon Auto Repair & Paint Shop to gut two nearby houses. A third residence was damaged and a parked car crushed when a shop wall collapsed. The cause of the fire was under investigation.