BATON ROUGE – Due to the severe statewide dry conditions and worries about first responder safety in dangerously high temperatures, State Fire Marshal Dan Wallis and Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain have issued a statewide halt to all private burning under R.S. 40:1602. Private burning is now only allowed with permission from local fire departments or governments.
Effective 5:00 p.m. on August 7, 2023, this order will remain in place until further notice. The ban does not affect prescribed burns by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, certified individuals, or those following “generally accepted agriculture practices” as outlined by the Louisiana Right to Farm Law (R.S. 3:3601 et seq.).
Recreational activities like barbecuing, using fire pits, or having small campfires are exempt from the ban. Violators of this Fire Marshal order may face criminal or civil penalties.