Louisiana Fire Marshal Issues A Statewide Burn Ban
Due to a lack of rain, Louisiana State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning and Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain have officially issued the statewide burn ban. The ban will go into effect starting at 8 am Tuesday, February 15, 2022, until further notice. Browning says over the course of the last few days, fire departments across the state have been responding to an overwhelming amount of emergency calls to extinguish fires.
Local and state fire officials agree that conditions in Louisiana are extremely dry, which not only makes outdoor burning a hazard, but it can also severely impact the air quality if it is not limited. KPLC TV reports this burn ban excludes prescribed burns from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry and general agriculture burns. Burnings taking place on private property will be permitted. However, residents must receive approval from local fire departments or local government officials before setting a controlled burn.
Please note: Criminal and/or civil penalties may result if this order from the Fire Marshal is violated.