Two Scott residents were cited for violating the burn ban - which is still in place in Lafayette Parish - by setting fires that caused property damage.
Scott Fire Chief Chad Sonnier said the combination of dry and windy conditions right now make it impossible to control any type of outdoor fire.
Within a 12-hour period, the Scott Fire Department responded to two incidents of illegal trash fires, both of which spread and damaged a neighbor's property, Sonnier said.
At about 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, the SFD was called to the 800 block of Malapart Road for a trash fire. When they go there, firefighters found a trash fire that had spread to a neighboring field and was burning some materials a neighbor was using to repair a barn.
Then around 8:30 p.m. SFD was called to the 100 block of Delhomme Avenue, and when they got there they found a trash fire that had spread next door, and was burning the neighbor's house.
In both incidents, firefighters were able to quickly bring the fire under control, minimizing the damage to neighboring property.
If you violate the burn ban and the fire damages somebody else's property, you are financially liable for any damage that fire does, Sonnier said.
If you want to see if the burn ban is active in your parish, you can check the state map here.
The safest thing to do is to call your local fire department and ask them what the rules are.
