"I've lost a dear friend, just a great guy, " pilot Bill Huete told CNN affiliate WWL-TV.

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WWL-TV reported that all four people on the vessel were accounted for, but that one person was severely burned and was treated at West Jefferson Medical Center.

NPR: Blaze Erupts After Tug Hits Pipeline On La. Bayou

Turns out they recently installed a fiber optic link to the studio at the school and local station -- and CNN affiliate -- WWL is evacuating their operation to that studio.

CNN: Miles O'Brien's hurricane blog

Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts, who represents the area, told WWL-TV that the fire was in very shallow water, as little as a foot deep, and that authorities would not approach the site until the fire had burned itself out.

NPR: Blaze Erupts After Tug Hits Pipeline On La. Bayou

As mayor during the storm and the flooding that engulfed the city soon after, Mr Nagin was an impassioned and vociferous critic of the Bush administration's response to the disaster, famously losing his temper during an expletive-laced interview with local radio station WWL-AM.

BBC: Ray Nagin: 'I should have evacuated New Orleans earlier'