Second person dies as wildfires ravage Louisiana amid heat wave
Two people have died in wildfires ravaging Louisiana as residents and leaders desperately wait for rain to help put out the blazes.
An 84-year-old woman from St. Tammany Parish was found unconscious Sunday when an official noticed a brush fire on her property, the Louisiana Illuminator reported Monday.
The victim was transported to a hospital in New Orleans, where she died. It is the second death in recent weeks attributed to wildfires in the state.
“While temperatures are expected to drop slightly from this week’s record highs, forecasts still do not call for substantial rain – which first responders say is critical to reducing the threat of wildfires,” it said. The media.
Video footage from the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office shows a fire burning among a group of trees, and the New York Post reported that there were 450 wildfires ravaging the state:
In a social media post Sunday, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA) wrote, “It may still be a while before our prayers for rain are answered. But we are doing everything we can, with all available resources, to win the fight against these wildfires. »
It may still be some time before our prayers for rain are answered. But we are doing everything we can, with all available resources, to win the fight against these wildfires. #lagov #lawx pic.twitter.com/7XoUssjVZ6
— Governor John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) August 27, 2023
A cold front brought some rain and thunderstorms to southern and southeastern areas of Louisiana over the weekend, Fox Weather reported on Tuesday, adding that heavy rain hit the southern part of the state on Monday. and that additional showers headed into the area via Hurricane Idalia.
In a social media post Tuesday morning, the Louisiana State Office of the Fire Marshal gave Details from residents on the current burning ban:
Enforcement of burn ban violations is active and we need the public’s help to not only avoid burning anything, but to report anything that is burning to the local fire departments. pic.twitter.com/TmTPJsD1eY
— Louisiana State Office of the Fire Marshal (@LAFIREMARSHAL) August 29, 2023
According to Fox’s report, “an Independence, Louisiana man was recently charged with violating a burning ban leading to a bushfire, according to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
“According to a press release, the fire started while the 41-year-old man was burning rubbish, and the flames spread to a nearby pine plantation owned by a local logging company, eventually consuming more than 170 acres,” the outlet said.
NBC News reported on Saturday that many residents were forced to evacuate as the fires continued:
“No one living in Louisiana has ever seen these conditions. It’s never been this hot, this dry, this long,” Edwards said at the time.
According to the Illuminator article, it was possible the woman who died Sunday was burning a pile of debris and falling into the flames.
The outlet also said, “In Washington Parish, a 72-year-old disabled man died on August 17 when a nearby fire spread to his home, according to a fire marshal’s report. Investigators found evidence of several piles of burns on the property, including some within a few feet of the residence.
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