Over the past week, a series of fires have plagued various areas of Sabine Parish causing acres of woodland to be lost, along with a number of homes, structures, and vehicles.
The first large fire was reported on Monday, August 14 in the Mt. Carmel area. Fueled by the drought conditions currently being experienced by numerous Louisiana parishes, the fire quickly spread to consume 2,100 acres. Reports state 10 homes were lost, along with eight other structures and numerous vehicles.
The response to the fire was immediate and effective. After the fire was first reported at around 2:15 p.m. on August 14, multiple fire and forestry department units were dispatched. The reporting of a second fire made the situation even more dire. Later, a Facebook post by the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office (SPSO) noted that the fire had been contained, but conditions make it likely the fire could re-ignite.
There was an outpouring of support from the community for those who lost everything in the fire, along with those responding to the tragedy. Churches opened their doors for those with nowhere else to go. Others donated necessary hygiene and comfort items to help families. Several families have opened Go-FundMe accounts for assistance, as well.
On Sunday, August 20, another large fire was reported in the area of Dess Road between Negreet and Florien. The announcement of this fire came not long after the SPSO made a Facebook post that a red flag warn- ing had been issued earlier in the day due to the extremely dry conditions, high temperatures, and high winds in the area. Already in place is a statewide burn ban due to the same reasons. Again, the response was immediate and effective, and the fire was contained several hours later. Due to the fire’s close proximity to the Index deadline, there was no information available on loss of property or how many acres had burned.
These were not the only two fires in Sabine this week. Among them were a woods fire east of Zwolle on Highway 171 on August 18. A spark from a passing train caused a fire near Mill Street off Highway 171 south. On August 17, a fire on Middle Creek Road off Highway 6 in the Many area was reported and contained. An August 16 fire west of Highway 171 north of Hornbeck was called in on a forested area. Sadly, that fire caused an injury to a first responder, who was backed over by a firetruck.
Readers should be reminded again of the statewide burn ban and extreme drought conditions that are currently plaguing the south. A check of the 10-day forecast by the weather channel on the morning of August 21 shows little hope for rain in an area that hasn’t seen any for what seems like months.
More information on the first fire can be seen in Observations on page two of this week’s edition and more information regarding the local response, and a profile about Shannon’s Butcher Block will be featured in an upcoming edition of the Index.