TIGER ISLAND WILDFIRE: Fire pushing wild animals into town of Merryville
BEAUREGARD PARISH, La. (KPLC) - Merryville Police ask the public to be mindful of wild animals that the fire may have pushed into town limits.
Still at 50% containment, the 32,000-acre Tiger Island Wildfire continues to burn in Beauregard Parish.
This month alone there have been about 600 wildfires in Louisiana and state officials say there will likely be more in the weeks ahead.
Resources for victims of Tiger Island Wildfire are available HERE.
Evacuation Orders
Only three areas remain under voluntary evacuation:
- The Junction community north of Merryville town limits and east on Hwy 190W to Seth Cole Road. This includes both sides of Hwy 190W as far south as Neale Oilfield Rd and as far north as the parish line.
- Seth Cole Road east to Williams/Vigor Miers Road. This includes both sides of Hwy 190W north to the parish line and south to Jack Nelson Road.
- Hauser Road and Ragle Road which are just north of Longville on Hwy 171.
Tiger Island
Authorities say crews are still making progress battling the wildfire. An early morning report from first responders says last night was fairly uneventful. Not much has changed in regard to the fire perimeter.
First responders have been hard at work identifying areas where there can bring in bulldozer lines closer to the fire’s edge to assist with containment. Crews are focusing on securing those containment lines near Merryville and moving to the north and east along the fire perimeter.
Governor John Bel Edwards flew over the devastated areas in Beauregard Parish yesterday and held a press conference in DeRidder afterwards. He reiterated that first responders are saying that the dry debris from Hurricane Laura, combined with gusty winds are helping fuel the flames. He also stressed to residents the importance of following with statewide burn ban.
“We are not out of this,” says Governor Edwards, “This is a long-duration event. It is critically important that everybody abide by the burn ban. There simply is not an excuse for burning anything outside in Louisiana these days.”
We will have further updates this morning as information comes in from first responders.
Road Closures
Highways 190, 389, 110, and 27 in Beauregard Parish are all open at this time.
Highway 171 from Leesville to Anacoco has reopened in Vernon Parish.
Water Shortage
The fires have damage water infrastructure in Singer, causing significant losses in water pressure and outages.
Officials are asking residents to use water only for necessary use, such as washing dishes and showering. Water districts are trying to keep water pressure up to fight the fires.
Related Information
LDAF offering reward for info on anyone starting forest fire
Firefighters explain how they stay healthy while fighting wildfires
Homes damaged in Tiger Island Fire; approx. 20 structures burned
Nursing home residents from Beauregard Parish evacuated to Sabine Parish due to ongoing wildfires
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