Inferno of Madness: The Tale of the Rampart Pyromaniac
Far from being the burning bush Moses described in the Hebrew Bible. Some fires, like the one that consumed a discarded Christmas tree near Flambeaux Bicycle Tours, are the handiwork of far less celestial forces. This incident, captured in stark detail by my security camera, was anything but mystical.
Image taken by footage from Flambeaux Bicycle Tours security camera.
I arrived at Flambeaux Bicycle Tours on January 12th to find things seemingly ordinary until Geoff pointed out a scorch mark on the sidewalk next door. Puzzled, I investigated further and reviewed our surveillance footage. What I saw left me dumbfounded.
The footage revealed a sinister scene: an arsonist casually strolling by, pausing to set a discarded Christmas tree ablaze, and taking a picture of the flames before walking off. The flames erupted with astonishing speed, illuminating the quiet street in a feral glow. As I watched, my jaw practically hit the floor.
Feeling compelled to share, I posted the footage on Instagram. To my surprise, the video quickly gained traction—far beyond my own account. Some viewers screen-recorded and re-shared it, with one even branding it with their watermark as if it were their own. The video went viral, accumulating over 200,000 views on one account alone.
Soon, media outlets traced the origin of the footage back to my page. NOLA.com interviewed me by phone, and shared my post. You can read the article here.
Not long after, my friends at WWL-TV reached out in amazement, sending Eleanor Tabone to film a segment on the incident.
Eric Gabourel on WWL-TV. Video of Rampart Street Christmas tree being set on fire next to Flambeaux Bicycle Tours.
The footage vividly shows the arsonist igniting the tree with a lighter and then snapping a photo of his fiery handiwork. Alarmingly, there were people sitting in a car just feet away from the blaze. As the tree was swiftly consumed by fire, the occupants of the car drove off without intervening.
French Quarter arsonist taking a picture of a Christmas tree he lite on fire on the 600 block of North Rampart St.
Fortunately, humanity was not entirely absent that morning. A gentleman walking by returned to extinguish the flames, joined by other good Samaritans. Their quick action likely prevented a catastrophe.
The fire climbed perilously close to the balcony of the adjacent building. Had the tree been larger, the flames might have spread, jeopardizing not only their property but ours as well. It’s sobering to recall the great fire of 1794, sparked by children playing with fire on Royal Street, which razed 221 structures in the French Quarter.
This incident underscores more than just the destructive power of fire—it’s a stark reminder of the mental health crisis plaguing our society. Acts of arson like this highlight the urgent need for better behavioral health resources, a need we can no longer afford to neglect.
We were lucky this time. Disaster was averted, and for that, we can exhale in relief.
See you on the road,
Eric Gabourel