Is A Regional Burn Ban On the Way? [VIDEO]

State Fire Marshall Butch Browning talks with 101.7 / 710 KEEL's Robert J Wright and Erin McCarty about the recent heat wave, increasing drought conditions and the increasing danger of outdoor burning.

Browning tells KEEL listeners that because of the recent, record setting heat, he anticipates more parishes across the state will order burn bans. "We're in cooperation and I'll be be speaking with Ag Commissioner Mike Strain and we'll be probably be looking at a regional or state fire ban here real soon because it is extremely dry and extremely hot...and a very, very small fire can turn out tragic."

In explaining the process of calling for the ban, Browning says, "Typically, we wait til the problem effects multiple parishes. Individual locations can manage those needs with a local burn ban, but when we start seeing the conditions we're seeing now, we'll probably be doing a north Louisiana burn ban very soon."