12 Louisiana parishes ban outdoor fires; St. Charles latest

New Orleans firefighters water an underground fire in the Michoud area on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. As of Saturday, 12 Louisiana parishes had banned outdoor burning because of extreme heat and drought conditions.

St. Charles Parish banned outdoor fires on Saturday due to extreme heat and drought.

The ban will remain in effect until rescinded, the local government administration said, citing the threat of fire spreading out of control.

The order comes a day after St. Tammany Parish issued a similar ban for at least two weeks. St. Charles is the 12th parish to forbid outdoor fires, according to a state Fire Marshal's Office map. (Online map loads slowly.)

"It's not just about the fire conditions; it's about the level of risk," Ashley Rodrigue, spokesperson for the Fire Marshal's Office, said Friday. "In this instance, they're clearly concerned about their firefighters and their staff."

Email Gabriella Killett at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter, @GEKillett.