St. Landry Parish no longer under the state's burn ban

(KLFY) — The statewide burn ban issued by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry that went into effect in August due to increased fire danger was modified effective at 5 p.m. Friday, but some places in Acadiana are out from under the ban altogether.

St. Landry Parish has chosen to lift the ban completely, a right that was granted to parish governments in the recently modified order.

Lafayette, St. Martin, Acadia, Iberia, Evangeline, Jeff Davis, St. Mary and Vermilion parishes have elected not to opt out of the statewide ban.

Lafayette Parish Fire Chief Robert Benoit said fire chiefs from Lafayette, Broussard, Carencro, Duson, Milton, Judice, Scott and Youngsville met this morning to discuss the possibility of opting out.

“All Lafayette parish fire chiefs have decided to NOT opt out of the Statewide Burn Ban at this time,” Benoit said. “Lafayette parish fire chiefs will continue to follow the orders of the State Fire Marshal until further notice.”

According to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, St. Landry is one of only four parishes in the state that have opted out, along with northern parishes Bossier, Caddo and Morehouse, as of 3 p.m. Friday.

The modified order still prohibits most public use of open flame, but allows agricultural burning, including but not limited to prescribed burning, to resume except for standing sugarcane. The burning of sugarcane fields is allowed after harvest.

The use of open flames in fire pits, campfires, barrels, bonfires, burn piles and like-open burning is still prohibited where the ban is in effect. Outdoor cooking is not a citable offense, but if your cooking creates a fire that the fire department has to respond to, you will get a citation, according to the original ban.