NEWSROUNDUP
Burning many materials still illegal
by Billy Coleman
A statewide burn ban put in place by the Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal was rescinded last week.
The ban was originally issued August 7, due to extremely hot temperatures and stronger- than-usual summer winds, and was modified on September 29.
A press release from the fire marshal’s office said that local ordinances that govern burn bans are still to be honored. East Carroll did not have any ordinances in place and instead followed state guidelines.
The only legal items you can burn in Louisiana are vegetation and ordinary yard waste items like leaves, tree branches, grass clippings, etc., according to the press release.
It is illegal to burn the following items: plastic and other synthetic mate- rials; tires and other rubber products; paints; household and agricultural chemicals; asphalt shingles; heavy oils; wire; newspaper, cardboard, and other paper products; buildings and mobile homes.
Lake Providence Fire Chief Keith Larry said local residents have called the fire station with questions since the ban has been lifted.
“We have gotten several calls about burning around town and we ask for residents to be cautious and vigilant as fires can get out of control faster than people think they can, and we have some cases where that has happened,” said Larry.
Larry says typically the calls are regarding situations in which people have set fires to leaves, and the wind has blown them out of the piles where the fire was set.
“I think some people are trying to burn more than usual to make up for the time that they couldn’t burn anything legally. We still have the right to issue citations when residents set illegal fires.
Remember, when setting a fire, you could not only endanger yourself and your property, but you could also be putting your neighbors and their property at risk,” said Larry.
For more information about fire safety, Larry said residents can call 318-559-2111 and the firefighter who is on duty can provide direction.
