The Webster Parish Police Jury has declared a state of emergency and issued a burn ban effective immediately, prohibiting all outdoor burning and open fires throughout Webster Parish due to extreme fire conditions caused by a lack of rainfall.
The Webster Parish Fire Chiefs Association requested the ban, citing a significant threat to life and property from fires. The dry conditions, combined with recent increases in grass and woods fires, prompted officials to take preventive measures to ensure public safety.
“Due to an increase in grass/woods fires lately, coupled with the lack of rainfall, and no significant rainfall in the near future, the Webster Parish Fire Chiefs Association has requested a burn ban for all of Webster Parish to prohibit all outdoor burning and open fires (including fire pits),” stated Brian Williams, director of the Webster Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness.
The burn ban does not apply to prescribed burns conducted by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The ban will remain in effect until local fire chiefs determine that weather conditions have improved.
The Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act grants parish authorities the power to declare emergency conditions and enact safety measures such as this ban. The parish urges residents to comply with the ordinance and refrain from outdoor burning until conditions improve.
The declaration was signed by Webster Parish Police Jury President Jim Bonsall on October 16, 2024.
For more information, residents are encouraged to follow updates from local authorities and emergency services.