Burn ban in effect for St. Landry Parish

A ban on private burning for St. Landry Parish took effect at 6 a.m. today and will remain in place until further notice, Bill Fontenot, parish president, announced Monday evening.
Dry vegetation is cited for the ban, which includes municipalities.
Officials from the St. Landry Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness and all municipal and district fire chiefs were consulted and agreed to implement the burn ban, the news release stated.
As of Monday, 18 grass fires have occurred in the parish since the beginning of August, the news release stated.
A burn ban means no burning of any type of debris or trash will be tolerated, the news release stated.
Fontenot said, “These measures are being done to ensure the safety of the citizens in St. Landry Parish and the first responders who have to battle these fires. With conditions as they are, fires can get out of control quickly and we want everyone to remain safe.”