Cops were called to a multi-million dollar mansion reportedly owned by JAY-Z and Beyoncé after the New Orleans home caught fire on Wednesday night (July 21). As NOLA.com reported, a residential fire alarm went off in the area, and authorities were informed of a one-alarm fire. A total of 22 firefighters arrived at the scene two hours later, discovered the home in flames and immediately extinguished the fire.
Per authorities, it is not clear how badly the home was damaged or how the fire even got started. The incident is currently being investigated as a possible arson after law enforcement discovered books inside of an oven and a gasoline can in the house, per local news station 4WWL.
Furthermore, officers believe that calls about a suspicious person in the area, which were received earlier that day, may be connected to the fire. Fortunately, no one currently lives in the mansion, and there were no reported injuries.
“If they didn’t get there when they did, it could have been much worse,” a spokesperson for the New Orleans Fire Department told the New York Post. “It’s a historic home.”
As NOLA.com reported, the New Orleans home was purchased in 2015 by Sugarcane Park LLC — a company managed by Bey’s mom, Tina Knowles-Lawson. The mailing address for the mansion — which has 26-foot-high ceilings, three apartments, six bedrooms, and six-and-half bathrooms — is also the one used for Bey’s Parkwood Entertainment company.
The fire at the Carters’ alleged residence took place as fans prepared for the release of Bey’s fourth Ivy Park collection, FLEX PARK, which includes orange-colored swimwear and athleisure. When the sale went live early Thursday (July 22), members of the Beyhive were instantly split between two groups: the fans who got new Ivy Park drip and the individuals who were blocked from the site moments after it crashed.