Citing rainfall, fire marshal lifts monthlong statewide burn ban

• Advocate staff report
• Published: Jul 21, 2009 - Page: 5B

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The Louisiana Fire Marshal’s Office ended a statewide burn ban at 2 p.m. Monday nearly a month after enacting it because of hot, dry weather, state fire officials said.

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning Jr. said Monday that rain that has fallen in recent weeks led officials to lift a ban that helped prevent the likelihood of fires.

“We have received enough rainfall that vegetation was not as dry as what it was 30 days ago when we started looking at the ban,” Browning said.

He said for about 20 days of the fire ban, before some rain started to fall, the state had drought conditions.

At 28 days, the now-ended fire ban is the longest in state history Browning said he is aware of.

He said most previous bans were for a week or so.

The lifted ban means residents in Louisiana can resume private burning on their property, such as for trash.

Browning issued the burn ban June 23 and kept it in effect through the July Fourth holiday, although several parishes and communities allowed fireworks displays.

In a statement Monday, Browning urged residents and local governments to exercise caution and to check with fire departments before they start burning.

The statewide ban gave local governments the option to lift the ban within their own jurisdictions.

With some rain falling since July 4, some governments had already lifted the state ban within their jurisdictions, as Ascension Parish government did Friday.