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UPDATE 2:
According to Seth Matherne, LEM-P State Debris Manager/ESF-3 Alternate Coordinator of the LA Department of Transportation & Development Emergency Operations, Equipment was on site yesterday evening at the Raceland debris fire to begin operations based on the second course of action. Norris & Boudreaux Contractors, LLC has been contracted to bring pumps and equipment for extinguishing the fire.
Matherne said in an email that crews will seek to use controlled amounts of water to cool the necessary areas enough to operate the equipment without the hazard of igniting the equipment’s hydraulic fluid. They said the winds are that are forecasted would help mitigate the potential for increased smoke until the equipment can open the piles for extinguishment. Matherne reported that the State’s prime debris contractor has reported that LSP will be hired to post units on either direction of LA-90 in the event that smoke would require shutting down the highway.
In the update, he stated that operations should have begun last night or this morning and they will begin with the piles closest to LA-90 and will work South to resolve the closest sources of smoke to the residential areas. More updates to follow.
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UPDATE 1:
A fire has been burning at a Hurricane Ida debris site in Raceland since last Monday and Lafourche Parish Fire District #1 Fire Chief Todd Detillier told the Times it should be out soon thanks to a partnership with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
Chief Ditillier said the fire was never uncontrolled and although the reason has not been determined yet, he said they cannot rule out spontaneous combustion which happens with debris piles that contain mulched tree debris. Although it was a controlled burn, he said their main job was to prevent the fire from spreading to surrounding property.
They were hoping the rains with Tuesday’s storms would have helped, however, the area received winds that only escalated the situation. Chief Detillier said most of the attention about the debris fire came when the amount of smoke was emitted when they put water onto the fire, “Where the fire height was at, the more water added, the more smoke you had,” he said.
He said the fire district does not have the correct equipment for the situation which is why they turned to the DOTD. With the right equipment, he estimates they will have the fire out soon.
According to multiple sources, a fire started in a dumpsite run by the state government, off Highway 90 in Raceland, and has turned into a huge debris fire that continues to burn for over a week now. State and local first responders have been unable to extinguish the flames.
