LAFOURCHE PARISH, La. — Drivers on Highway 90 in Lafourche Parish had to deal with flames and smoke Monday night during their commute as fire crews did what they could to battle a large marsh fire that wasn’t letting up.
“Seems like it starts off the roadway, and then it progressed towards the highway,” said District 1 Assistant Fire Chief Gregg Falgout.
Falgout says the first call came in around four o’clock Monday afternoon. Fire crews did what’s called “back burning” to keep the fire controlled.
“We burn the vegetation on the side of the road so it doesn’t affect the traffic,” said Falgout.
The smoke got so bad Tuesday morning that state police shut down Highway 90 in both directions between Highways 316 and 182.
“Thank God they didn’t have Fog with it, mixed into it,” said Falgout. “The wind was real light, so it was just kind of hanging over the highway.”
That mixture of smoke and fog referred to as “super fog,” created deadly combinations recently.
Seven people died in a series of crashes on Interstate 55 in October near Manchac. Two weeks later, one person was killed in a crash on Interstate 10 in New Orleans East.
Part of the problem with the fires is how dry the area was.
“We had the driest year, really in our lifetime, probably in many generations,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain.
Strain expects more than 1,400 recorded wildfires this year. That’s why he plans to ask lawmakers for $43 million next yet, for specialized equipment and personnel.
“We have to gear up and get ready for next year and that’s a big part of the discussion not only here in Louisiana but across the United States,” said Strain.
During his 40 years with the fire department, Chief Falgout says these types of wildfires, in unreachable areas, happen every year. With limited manpower, the goal is to put as much of it out as possible.
“After we leave the scene, we pass it on the sheriff’s office or state police and ask them to, if it gets out of hand, call us back and we can see what we can do about it,” said Falgout.”
By Tuesday afternoon, flames and smoke were still part of the commute for drivers but under enough control not to be a threat to any homes or personal property.
Fire crews expect the fire will burn out by the end of Tuesday evening.
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