Smell of smoke Sunday morning likely coming from fires outside of BR area
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - After residents throughout the Baton Rouge area reported smelling smoke Sunday morning, August 27, authorities addressed the situation.
Firefighters said they do not believe the smell is coming from a fire burning within East Baton Rouge Parish or the immediate area surrounding Baton Rouge. Instead, they believe the smell is likely from fires burning in other parts of Louisiana.
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According to a spokeswoman with the St. George Fire Department, crews responded to numerous calls of reported smoke. However, the calls have all been unfounded.
Smelling/seeing smoke? It looks as though smoke from the wildfires to our west and northwest has made it into our area.
— Steve Caparotta, Ph.D. (@SteveWAFB) August 27, 2023
Visibility down to 6 miles at the airport in Baton Rouge as of 9 AM. #LAwx pic.twitter.com/PFvFMsnSg0
Other agencies in Livingston Parish, Ascension Parish, and Iberville Parish also said residents smelled smoke. However, there were no reports of any major active fires.
If residents truly believe there is an emergency, they are still being encouraged to make a call to 911 or their local fire department.
A burn ban remains in place across Louisiana, and authorities warned that anyone caught violating the burn ban will face consequences. Click here to read the full text of the burn ban.
The particulates from the wildfire smoke have caused AQI in Baton Rouge to spike into 'Code Orange' or 'Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.'
— Steve Caparotta, Ph.D. (@SteveWAFB) August 27, 2023
If you have respiratory issues, best to limit your time outdoors today. #LAwx pic.twitter.com/8NLHu0aW2P
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