There’s been a great deal of talk about the impacts of wildfires in the area lately. You may have been impacted by the recent outbreak of a fire and the smoke associated with it along I-12 in Lacombe earlier this week.
Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says, with conditions expected to remain dry and windy for the most part moving forward, that could lead to an unwelcome repeat. "In February, we had 170 fires. To put that in perspective, our yearly average is just over 700 (fires). In three days, from the 22nd to the 24th, we had 70 fires. We had 34 fires just on Sunday across the state," Strain notes. He says, ultimately, 417 acres of land burned because of the fire spreading.
Strain emphasizes that it’s important for residents to be aware of how they can help to prevent these fires from breaking out in the first place so they don't spread. That includes being mindful of big things like not burning trash and small things like taking note of dragging chains beneath truck trailers that can cause sparks.
Currently, there are 22 parishes in Louisiana with burn bans in place, and residents are also advised not to toss anything flammable, such as matches or cigarette butts, out of windows in the area either. He says those who are found to be responsible for the start and spread of these fires can be held legally liable as well.
Louisiana's dry conditions and wet surroundings led to some wild sights as fires raged along I-12. “Since October, we’ve had below-normal rain. Then came the freezes, which killed off the grass. If you look at the large wildfires we had in St. Tammany Parish, a lot of that fire was over land that actually had standing water,” emphasizes Strain. He says the grasses on top of standing water can still burn and cause a great deal of damage, as unlikely as it sounds.
Strain does say a lack of controlled burns in the region, likely paired with unfavorable weather and road conditions, allows wildfires to spread in the region.
"We have not been doing controlled burning over the years in this particular area. It's a sensitive area right next to the interstate, and there was a lot of fuel on the ground. Pushed by very dry conditions and high wind, it really got out of control," added the Agriculture Commissioner.