After more than a month of smoldering below the surface, a challenging marsh fire in New Orleans East has been extinguished, according to the New Orleans Fire Department on Monday.
NOFD officials said monthlong suppression efforts and heavy rain over the weekend helped fire crews stamp out the fire that has plagued the area just south of Chef Menteur Highway between Michoud and Venetian Isles.
Ongoing smoke from the fire played a role in two deadly car pileups along Louisiana highways, including a 160-plus crash that killed seven on I-55 near Manchac in late October and another that killed one motorist on I-10 in New Orleans East two weeks later.
Throughout the past week, the NOFD and partnering agencies completed the withdrawal of services and assets used to bring the wildfire under control.
Other agencies involved in assisting the NOFD, included:
- Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans
- Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
- Army Corps of Engineers
- New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
- Harvey Volunteer Fire Company No. 2
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