President Cooper Issues a Parishwide Burn Ban

Parish President Mike Cooper has issued a burn ban in St. Tammany Parish for two weeks, due to extreme heat and severe lack of rainfall that has created significant fire potential.

“This is an effort to protect property and the health of our citizens,” said President Cooper. “After consulting with our meteorologists and fire safety experts, this burn ban is absolutely necessary as conditions are approaching record highs for fire potential. I appreciate our first responders, who have unanimously supported this initiative, and who are working tirelessly through this stifling heat.”

We have only experienced similar conditions twice in the last 23 years (2000 and 2015). The extreme dry conditions mixed with record high heat has produced above normal significant fire potential for the month of August. This risk could possibly extend to October if we do not return to adequate rain fall and lower temperatures.

“We have conditions similar to those areas in the west that have severe fire threats,” said Emergency Operations and Homeland Security Director, Clint Ory. “Until the heat is reduced and substantial rainfall occurs, we have a high risk of fire.”

The burn ban will be reassessed in two weeks.