2023 Louisiana wildfires

Merryville High School closed, and a high school in Singer, Louisiana was closed.[7] Several state routes across Beauregard Parish were closed, including portions of Louisiana highways 27, 110, and 389.[8][9] In DeRidder, nursing homes were evacuated as a precaution due to the fast-moving Tiger Island fire.[6]

On August 21, a red flag warning was issued for southwestern Louisiana.[10] Wildfire smoke from the Louisiana wildfires was observed as far as Lafayette and Acadiana.[11] Wildfire smoke also caused hazy skies across the New Orleans metropolitan area, and wildfire smoke was observed as far east as southern Mississippi.[12][13] Several fires were started across Calcasieu, Sabine, Tangipahoa, and Vernon parishes, where an arrest was made in connection to the Vernon Parish fire.[14] The wildfire in Tangipahoa parish burned 171 acres (7,400,000 sq ft).[15] As of August 26, all fires across Calcasieu, Sabine, Tangipahoa, and Vernon parishes were contained.[16] A mandatory evacuation was issued for portions of Vernon parish.[17] The wildfires also occurred in an area where an "extreme" or "exceptional" drought was occurring.[18] 17 parishes where wildfires were occurring declared a state of emergency.[6] Water infrastructure near Singer was damaged, leading to significant losses in pressure and causing outages.[19] At least two fatalities occurred.[4]

Pitkin fire

Smoke plumes from the fire near Pitkin on August 26th.

On August 24, a fire described as "out of control" was reported in Vernon Parish, near Pitkin, Louisiana. Nearby residents were evacuated, and multiple structures began to burn.[34][35]

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the Fire Management Assistance Grant in Beauregard Parish.[36] The American Red Cross assisted with relief efforts, and the United States Army Blackhawk helicopters assisted with firefighting operations.[9][25] Assistance also came from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas,[37] and Tennessee, and 161 bulldozers from the National Guard were deployed.[9][25][38] A Boeing CH-47 Chinook was also deployed to help with efforts to drop water onto the fires; at least 161,000 gallons of water were dropped from the CH-47.[25] Four strike teams were to arrive from Florida with 160 firefighters and 20 bulldozers.[25] Merryville, Louisiana was under a mandatory evacuation order that has since been lifted.[7][39][40] Emergency operations centers were activated on August 23, and a church was opened for a temporary shelter in DeRidder, Louisiana.[21][41] On August 25, Texas governor Greg Abbott announced that firefighters and emergency personnel would be dispatched to Merryville, Louisiana to assist in firefighting efforts.[42] More than 200 Louisiana National Guard troops were dispatched to assist in firefighting efforts.[21][43] Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards stated that "Nobody alive in Louisiana has ever seen these conditions."[44] Governor Edwards also assessed damage across Vernon and Sabine parishes.[43] Toledo Bend Army Recreation Park near the Toledo Bend Reservoir was closed.[45] The United Way of southwest Louisiana started a fire fund for collecting donations to assist wildfire victims.[19] On August 29, Beauregard Parish School Board schools resumed operations and classes.[19]