North Louisiana under red flag warning through tonight
Though temperatures in north Louisiana have cooled more than 10 degrees in the past few days, residents are being reminded that danger is still in the air — literally.
With dry conditions persisting throughout the month of August, the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for all parts of the region through 8 p.m. tonight.
A Red Flag Warning means weather conditions locally will be favorable for fast and rapid wildfire growth. According to the NWS in Shreveport, fire weather concerns will last throughout today, “before rain chances and higher humidity values return by the weekend.”
North Louisiana has been spared from wildfires that have plagued other parts of the state, but Gov. John Bel Edwards reminds every state resident that there is still an inherent danger.
“There simply is not an excuse to be burning anything outside in Louisiana these days,” Edwards said from hard-hit Beauregard Parish Tuesday. “When that changes, we’re going to let you know.”
With the Labor Day weekend arriving, Director of the Lincoln Parish Office of Homeland Security, Kip Franklin, offers further advice for local residents.
“ Please report any outdoor burning. Someone else’s burning may affect your property,” Franklin said.
He also advised those who are tailgating at football games or gathering for Labor Day to adhere to all safety advisories to ensure a safe holiday.
The governor’s office also released guidance for the initial full weekend of football, desiring to send a message of safety first.
“We know that we won’t be able to stop everyone from grilling and cooking outdoors at tailgates on campuses while the burn ban persists, but we want to do everything we can to appeal to their better angels and reduce the fire risk as much as possible,” the governor’s memo stated. “We also believe it will send the wrong message if we are adamant that folks not burn anything otherwise, but do nothing to encourage folks to be fire safe on gameday.”
Here are a few more guidelines released by Edwards’ office, of which Franklin said can be applied to any holiday get-togethers as well.
• Embers from even small cooking fires can travel great distances and ignite dry brush nearby, so it’s not just about the condition of your immediate surroundings.
• Cars and trucks should not be parked on dry grass, as tailpipes and other hot car parts can start a fire.
• Dispose of cigarette butts safely, extinguish them before throwing away.
• If towing, ensure that safety chains are properly secured and will not drag along, creating sparks that can ignite deadly fires.
• If using a generator, do not place it on dry grass. When refueling, allow the generator to be powered down and cooled off for 20 minutes before adding fuel.
According to the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s Office, there has been one fatality due to wildfires in the state since the burn ban began.
An elderly Folsom woman died after being rescued from a brush fire that was discovered by a State Fire Marshal deputy during proactive burn ban patrols in St. Tammany Parish Sunday.
The forecast for Lincoln Parish over the next 10 days calls for highs in the lower 90s and continued dry conditions. There are slight chances for rain in the coming days, but no particular day has a chance of rain set at more than 40%. Other than Sunday’s thunderstorm that popped up in Ruston, there hasn’t been any measurable rainfall in the area since earlier in July.
