SCOTT, La. (KLFY) — The dangers of the dry conditions can be seen in Scott where an electrical pole was knocked down by a truck and quickly caught fire.

“An 18-wheeler was backing up into a private driveway and caught a cable line and pulled down one utility pole and damaged a couple of other ones,” Scott Fire Chief Chad Sonnier said. “Once the wires hit the ground, they were still live, so we weren’t able to immediately put the fire out. Once the energy company got on scene and deenergizes the lines we put the fire out and went around it so there isn’t any cause of any fire to spread.”

Sonnier said extensive measures were taken to prevent the fire from spreading after dealing with several fires around the city, including two trash fires Wednesday.

With the hot and dry weather felt across Acadiana, Sonnier said the number of fires seen in the city and on the interstate have continued to rise this summer.

“We’ve had several as a result of the dry weather. We’ve had a lot of fires which we wouldn’t normally have,” Sonnier said. “One was an 18-wheeler having a blowout and the steel belts from the tire flying off actually started a grass fire, as well as people discarding their cigarettes out the window and starting a grass fire.”

The Scott Fire Department has now dealt with seven fires in the last nine days related to burning grass, trash or other residential fires.

Sonnier reminded people of how quickly and easily fires can be started and spread in these conditions and to be mindful of the burn ban in effect across the state.

“Pretty much anything can start a fire,” Sonnier said. “We just want to remind everyone that there is a burn ban and if you do burn anything whether it be vegetation or trash, you will be cited for violating the burn ban as well as local ordinances.”