By Jerry Strahan
The wildland fire risk across Webster Parish is currently classified as Very High, To Extreme. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) and the Webster Parish Fire Chiefs Association initiated the burn ban due to a dangerous combination of prolonged drought, severe heat indices, and exceptionally dry fuel loads across timberland and vegetation.
Current Fire Risk Factors
Fuel Moisture & Dryness: Extended high temperatures paired with low humidity have dried out forest leaf litter, brush, and pine straw. Under these conditions, light surface fuels ignite almost instantly from a single spark.
Fire Behavior: At a Very High rating, fires spread rapidly and burn with high intensity. Spotting (where embers carry downwind to start new fires ahead of the main flame front) becomes a major threat, leading to unpredictable fire growth.
Control Resistance: Direct containment with standard hand lines or light equipment is difficult once a fire reaches timber or heavy brush, often requiring heavy LDAF dozer.
At my location at 11 a.m. in Springhill on August 19, the temperature is 99F and the humidity is 24 percent; winds are variable at 14 mph. Those are prime conditions for a major wildland fire.
I spent 6 years as a smoke jumper in the 80s . I have been to 44 states to fight wildland fires. I worked for the U.S. Forestry Service and I applied those teachings when I came back to Louisiana and joined the fire department.
The forestry service has a plane up at this time, looking for wildland fires, or even a person burning off a field.
They radio the forestry and they in turn call this local law enforcement and fire department to extinguish the burn.
Until we get significant rain, our wildland fire danger will continue to grow each day.
(Jerry Strahan was a first responder in fire and emergency services for almost 45 years. He lives in north Webster Parish and has written weather articles for other publications.)
