LOUISIANA, USA — Wildfires have burned more than 60,000 acres of land across Louisiana just this year, which has made fighting fires far more challenging across the state.
Schriever Fire Department Chief, Chris Bourgeois told WWLTV, "We have definitely seen an increase of larger fires that we're used to."
The lack of rain has worsened conditions, making it harder for fire crews to get a handle on things. St. Bernard Fire Chief, Earl Borden said, "A lot of this is because of the extreme dry conditions in Louisiana, which everyone knows is historic."
Chief Bourgeois said, "This year it seems like they're a little bit larger we haven't seen rain in weeks, sometimes months."
High winds also lead to red flag warnings. In August nearly 450 fires were burning in 17 parishes across the state, prompting a state of emergency.
Chief Bourgeois said, "Last year I don't think we even had anything larger than a small firepit sized fire... compared to this year, a larger marsh fires we have experienced."
This year's largest battle was the Tiger Island fire in Beauregard Parish, which lead to more than 1,500 evacuations. Don Robertson, Director of Fire Services in Jefferson Parish told WWLTV, "Its been a busy season because it has been so hot this summer."
He went on to say, "As long as I have been in this business and I have been in this business 40+ years, this is one of the driest seasons I have ever seen in my career."
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