October 2023

a threat, the threat immediately goes down, so being aware
of how unprepared Louisiana has been this year should be a
wakeup call for the future,” stated Grymes.
We’ve entered another season that could make or break
us as a state when wildfires are on the rise – tailgating
season. Louisiana can’t seem to get
enough of tailgating, so the possibility of
losing that as an outlet isn’t sitting too
well with some. Grymes and LeBlanc
feel tailgating can continue with safety
measures in place.
“If you’re going to set up in a spot, of
which many people are in the same
spot year in and year out, then take
something along in case you generate a
spark. It can take a while for a fire to take
off, so evaluate your area for any potential
flammable risks. Rake up any leaves around,
and purchase a hand dispensed fire extinguisher.
You can buy two small ones at a local hardware store for
about $15. I carry two in my car and actually used one when I
saw a grass fire on the side of River Road recently. Quite frankly,
whether you create a grass fire on your site or not, it’s not a
bad idea to have something on-site when you grill. Best case
scenario is you never use them, but having one when you
We should always
be aware of our
surroundings. Just as
you need two ways out of
a building, you should also
have two ways out of a
municipality in case of
an emergency.
need it is a simple safety measure anyone can follow.”
“In my thirty-seven years as a Volunteer Chief here in Ascension
Parish, I have battled many hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and
other ‘natural disasters,’ but never did a dream I would be
battling out of control wildland fires here in Ascension
Parish because we did not adhere to
our state-wide burn ban,” stated LeBlanc. “I
sincerely hope the Louisiana population
takes this ban seriously, including during
tailgating. It’s not that anyone wants to
dampen the spirit and the revelry of
football season, but sometimes things
are bigger than what we want, and they
must be more about what we need to
do collectively. Just be smart. That can
go a long way in keeping everyone safe.”
It seems a little cliché to remind everyone
of Smokey the Bear, but he did teach many of
us a thing or two about stopping, dropping, and
rolling. He also taught us that we can prevent forest fires.
Is that still applicable when it comes to fires of the wilder kind?
Browning seems to agree with our caniform friend.
“You bet prevention is the key, as is a constant awareness of
safety when you are in control of any item that can cause a fire.
Remember, prevention only happens when you live by it and
LMR | OCTOBER 2023 Page 13