Severe fire threat need our attention

Big, breaking news! It’s hot outside.
No joke.
We all know the heat has been at record levels this summer, due largely to the fact we have had so little rain.
That situation has also created a very serious scenario in terms of fire, and this week the State Fire Marshal’s Office, along with St. Tammany Parish executives, all issued a warning to residents to be extra careful, so we don’t see some terrible situation occur as other areas have experienced recently.
Most of us saw the news from Hawaii, where one of the worst fires in history led to the complete destruction of a small town—and over 100 dead so far with more than 800 still unaccounted for—it documented what can happen when the right conditions occur.
The Hawaii fire was made much worse by high winds from a nearby tropical storm, but even in our area the possibility of serious fires is now all around us.
Only last week a stretch of eight miles along Interstate 10, from the Stennis exit to Bay St. Louis, was scorched when a wildfire began, so we must realize that we are hardly immune from a serious fire occurring here.
There is currently a state burn ban now in effect and the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s Office is trying to get the word out that something as seemingly innocent as a backyard burn pile could turn tragic, especially since we are now getting more tropical weather brewing in the Gulf, which increases winds in this region.
The state office said we should expect these conditions to continue for at least two more weeks, but for now, please be vigilant about anything near your home that might start a fire.
As in Hawaii, it didn’t take much to start a historic event that eventually took the entire town, and what will probably be hundreds of lives once they find all the bodies.
Let’s not have anything like that happen here. It’s something we all can assist in avoiding, so please be careful when it comes to any outside fires.