October 2023

teach others how to also prevent fires.”
Both Browning and LeBlanc have dedicated much of their
lives to putting out fires. It’s in their blood, but it’s also of the
utmost importance to them that people and property are safe
from the ravages of a blaze. I asked them both to tell us all
something they wish we’d take more to heart when it comes
to a continued, or even repeated, 2023 in terms of wildfires.
“Your family’s safety and security starts with your own commitment
to prevention and having a plan when disaster
strikes. I encourage people to take this threat seriously, and
to be on the lookout if where you live is near undeveloped
land that could encourage a fire to rapidly come onto your
property. Take action to ensure your home is wildland fire
ready,” said Browning.
“It’s simple - don’t burn anything. What’s not simple is having
to battle blazes caused by disregard or unawareness of a
state-wide burn ban. Our state has been adhering to rules prohibiting
the burning of any item that will contribute to wildfires
that continue to spread and are actively being fought by
brave men and women here in Ascension Parish and across
the state. It’s not acceptable for our volunteer firefighters to
continue to fight hundreds of acres of wildfires simply because
our residents continue to disobey the state-wide burn
ban. As our service leaders continue to work to protect communities
affected, you can help to stop the spread of future
fire incidents by adhering to the burn ban,” said LeBlanc. “All
outdoor burning is prohibited with no exceptions. This includes
not just the burning of trash, but any open flames in
fire pits, barrels, bonfires, and the like. Outdoor cooking is not
a citable offense, but if your outdoor cooking does cause a
fire that a fire department or volunteer agency must attend
to, you will be issued a citation. And although mowing and
yard work themselves aren’t banned, it is preferred that people
not do those things in conditions that could ignite a spark.
Many departments are receiving increased calls for brush fires
stemming from farm operations. Please be conscious and try
to avoid activities that can cause sparks until conditions have
improved. Stay informed, and find a site that works for you to
stay up-to-date on the burn ban and how to correctly follow it.
There is no excuse for not understanding it or not following it.
Your knowledge on this topic is crucial to remedying it.”
It’s only October. We’re near the beginning of a season that’s
taken much from us already. People are not prepared, and
that needs to change. Department and volunteer firefighters
are stretched to capacity when seeing a 750% increase from a
‘normal’ wildfire season. Elected officials can do much to foster
that change. First and foremost, each municipality should
develop and implement an evacuation plan. Fires aren’t limited
to uninhabited, dense woods, so ensuring that citizens
state-wide know where to go in case a fire encroaches on
their area is an important first step. Drive home the importance
of defensible spaces. These would be buffers between
buildings and nature, and they can minimize the speed of a
fire, as well as give firefighters a safe space to work within.
Take a look around your municipality and decide upon fire
hazard severity zones. These can be parceled into high, medium,
and low risk zones which allow for work to be done on
improving them and keeping them safe. Remain conscious of
building along the interface. Who doesn’t love progress, but
to what degree if it means leaving your constituents unprotected?
And pay attention to air quality reports and alerts.
You’re an important line of defense when it comes to decision
making for your community, so make sure you’re paying attention
to health risks before they happen.
We are adaptable people, but we must take care to pay attention
when adaptability is required. We’re Louisiana, so we’re
going to get through this, but it’s going to take us coming together
as a village with a lot of pluckiness, luckiness, preparation,
and motivation. We don’t make a habit of naming our fires
like we do our hurricanes, but maybe we should. Maybe personalizing
things
somehow gives
them more credence.
But names
shouldn’t matter
when devastation
is what should.
Louisiana is burning,
and we must
come together and
do what’s asked in
order to ease her
pain.
by Charlotte
Smith
AMCorp
International
Smith is a Senior Communications
Consultant for AMCorp and is the Editor
of the Louisiana Municipal Review.
Contact: charlotte@teamamcorp.com
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LMR | OCTOBER 2023