HOUMA, La. — Terrebonne Parish is under a state of emergency.
A forested marsh is on fire in the Schriever area.
Responders are working to put it out before it grows even larger.
“The biggest issue we’re having is water supply,” Shriever Fire Protection District Chief Chris Bourgeois said. “We are a mile, mile and a half from the nearest hydrant. Usually, we have places we can pull from canals and bayous. Everything’s so dry now, there’s nothing we can do.”
Chief Bourgeois says for now, they are relying on tankers and track trucks to haul water into the forest to fight the fire.
It has consumed about 100 acres near Bull Run Road and LA-311.
Monday morning, smoke mixed with fog caused low visibility conditions on highways and roads across the area.
The parish used a drone equipped with infrared to help identify hot spots and the fire spreading underground and to direct heavy equipment through the smoky conditions.
“We went ahead a cut some fire lines, completely around it, using roads and pipeline right away, then we had to cut some trees, Terrebonne President Gordon Dove said.
Dove thinks this fire was either intentionally set or started by people who were being careless.
“I believe one area was intentionally set,” Dove said. “I don’t think they expected it to take off like it did. A lot of times people will burn grass to hunt rabbits or something. You just can’t do that right now.”
Normally, much of this cypress forest would be underwater.
Chief Bourgeois says one thing can help put out this stubborn fire.
“Rain, get some moisture back in the ground and get the waterways back full of water. We’ve been working hand in hand with Louisiana Forestry and the state fire marshal, and this is all over the state.”
Firefighters hoped to have the fire contained by the end of the day. But with the land being as dry as it is, it could continue to smolder for days, even weeks.
The Bull Run Road fire is just a short distance from Bayou Cane, where a 4,000-acre fire burned this summer.
“We’re asking the public, please don’t do anything with an open flame and please be careful about that because as you can see this was all swamps and now it’s dry and it’s a tinderbox,” Dove said.
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