A massive wildfire off of Highway 1056 in the Mount Hermon area this past Friday required personnel and/or equipment from 18 different fire departments to fight the blaze.
In addition to Washington Parish fire departments and other fire departments, the blaze was also battled by two planes from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Forestry. The planes dropped fire retardant on the blaze.
The fire was located along Highway 1056 and Firetower Road. It jumped across Old Lake Road and several other small roads as it continued to burn, eventually covering almost 200 acres.
The fire took out a very large tract of valuable timber as well as threatening area homes and destroying a barn. Coordinating together, the responding fire departments were able to finally contain the blaze and prevent any homes from being lost.
Meanwhile, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office had advised motorists to avoid Highway 1056 during the fire.
Once the fire was finally contained, detectives from the Sheriff’s Office and agents from the state Department of Wildlife and Forestry received a search warrant for a campsite in the area of the fire.
While serving the warrant and investigating the campsite, the officers came into contact with a Tangipahoa Parish man who had been staying at the campsite.
The man told the officers that he had a fire at the campsite Thursday night. After he left the campsite Friday the fire apparently spread into the nearby wooded area and from there it took off, becoming a major blaze due to the excessively dry conditions.
Arrested was Kenneth Beaubouef, 34. Although legally a resident of Tangipaho Parish, he told officers he had been more recently residing at the campsite.
Beaubouef was charged with violating the statewide burn ban which was issued last week due to the dry conditions. In addition, he was also charged with criminal negligence.
State Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain also noted that because the fire destroyed a large tract of marketable timber, civil legal action might occur. “Restitution is always possible,” he said.
In addition to the devastation of the fire itself, another tragedy was avoided up in the sky. The forestry planes that dumped retardant had a close call with a third plane. The third plane apparently was transporting someone who wanted to view the fire.
Strain noted that the statewide burn ban remains in effect and he implored Louisianans to obey it. The Washington Parish fire, he said, was a prime example of how quickly a fire can spread when conditions are as dry as they currently are.
Chief Jeremy Freeman of the Mount Hermon Fire Department echoed Strain’s comment on the burn ban.
Freeman said, “The burn ban is important not just to firefighters but to all of the people of our state.”
He added, “Someone might think if they are standing there with a hose they can contain their fire, but as hot and dry as it has been all it takes is a small breeze.”
“Please obey the burn ban,” Freeman said. “And if you see someone violating the ban and burning, please call the law or the fire department.”
Freeman said he and the Mount Hermon firefighters are extremely grateful to all of the volunteer firemen who came to help. He also expressed appreciation to Bobbi Breland, director of the Washington Parish Office of Homeland Security, Brandon LaSalle, chief of the Franklinton Fire Department, and Chief James of District 1 for coordinating the volunteer effort.
Freeman noted that all of the firefighters involved worked very hard to save homes --- all threatened structures were saved with the exception of one barn. But he said plenty of vegetation was lost and lots of wildlife undoubtedly were killed.
Sending firefighters and equipment to battle the blaze were:
•Washington Parish Fire Departments from Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9;
•St Tammany Parish Fire Departments from Districts 5, 6, and 13.
•Hammond Fire Department and Hammond Rural Fire Department.
•Mississippi Fire Departments from Lexie, Wilmer, Prentiss, Enon, and Progress.
