On Thursday afternoon, Rapides Parish Police Jury President Richard Billings issued an immediate cease-and-desist order for all private burning due to extremely dry conditions that increase the fire risk.

In 2011 over 2,000 acres of Bayou Sauvage caught fire, turning the marsh into a massive blaze.

“With these dry conditions, it doesn’t take very long for a small grass fire to grow very large”, said Randy Pate, chief of the Thibodaux Volunteer Fire Department.

Wednesday’s fire cause is unknown at this time but around harvest season, farm equipment is usually to blame.

A fire weather watch is in place this weekend for areas of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi, the National Weather Service said.

As a reminder, the Marshal warned open surface burning throughout all of un-incorporated Shelby County is always against the law.

The state fire marshal’s office says wood fires are the biggest concern.