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, <strong>2023</strong> 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 <strong>October</strong>. 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 Page 14 LMR | OCTOBER <strong>2023</strong>
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