LA State Fire Marshal: Multi-Parish Burn Ban Updated Following Hurricane Ida

BATON ROUGE -  As recovery efforts progress following the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida, State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning and Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain are lifting the cease and desist order issued for all private burning for two parishes: Iberville and St. Bernard.

The cease and desist order remains in place for Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and Terrebonne parishes. In these parishes, private burning is only allowed by permission of the local fire department or local government.

Violation of this order could result in criminal and/or civil penalties.

The State Fire Marshal says this revised order is effective as of 5 p.m., September 2, and remains in effect until further notice.  

There are a few exceptions to the burn ban.

For example, the ban does not apply to prescribed burns by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, by those trained and certified by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, by those who conduct prescribed burning as a “generally accepted agriculture practice” as defined by the Louisiana Right to Farm Law, or as permitted by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

 Where the burn ban is being lifted, the SFM is reminding residents that the only legal items a citizen can burn in Louisiana are vegetation and ordinary yard waste items like leaves, tree branches, grass clippings, etc.

 According to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, items NOT allowed to be burned include:

-Plastic and other synthetic materials

-Tires and other rubber products

-Paints, household and agricultural chemicals

-Asphalt shingles, heavy oils, wire

-Newspaper, cardboard and other paper products

-Buildings and mobile homes