BATON ROUGE, La. — Following a rash of devastating fires due to historic heat, including a deadly housefire in Franklinton, state officials are urging residents to comply with the statewide burn ban issued on Aug. 7.
"Firefighters from around the state are being worn thin as a result of responding to several illegal burn piles and brush fires, which are more frequently turning into larger wildfires because of the dangerous conditions," stated State Fire Marshal, Dan Willis.
"We are pleading with the public to cooperate with this burn ban and be considerate of the first responders who are put in increased danger in this heat every time they're called to respond to a fire."
Governor John Bel Edwards claims there have been more than 260 wildfires in Louisiana this summer.
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