By John Summers | WBR Independent | March 2, 2026

ERWINVILLE — A grass fire burned several acres near Section Road in the Erwinville area of West Baton Rouge Parish Monday afternoon, charring fields surrounded by homes just four days after Parish President Jason Manola publicly defended the decision not to issue a parish-wide burn ban.

A caller near East Subdivision reported the grass fire was getting out of control approximately two lots away at around 2:16 p.m. The West Baton Rouge Fire Department was dispatched minutes later. Initial dispatch communications estimated the fire at 7 to 10 acres based on visible smoke, though the actual burn area may have been smaller.

The property owner told WBR Independent the fire started on his land near Section Road and Flynn Road and spread rapidly after he attempted to extinguish it by hand. Shifting winds — which changed direction at least three times — pushed the fire westward, then south-southwest, then northwest, at which point it began moving quickly across dry, open fields. A strip of green grass along a fence line helped prevent the blaze from jumping into a neighboring pasture, and the fire stopped short of a large burn pile that could have scattered embers across a wider area.

The WBRFD brought the fire under control. No structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported.

Parish President's Justification

At the February 26 Parish Council meeting, Manola addressed the burn ban question at length, one day after WBR Independent reported that parish leaders had largely declined to answer questions about whether a burn ban was being considered.

Manola told the council that while the National Weather Service had issued Red Flag Warnings covering West Baton Rouge Parish, "it's not the only thing, in my opinion, to take into consideration when you want to do a parish burn ban."

He outlined several data points he said informed the decision:

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry rated West Baton Rouge's fire danger as "high" — but not "very high" or "extreme," categories that applied to the majority of parishes that had issued bans. The U.S. Drought Monitor, released the morning of February 26, listed West Baton Rouge at an intensity level of "none." The LSU AgCenter Field Conditions Report listed the parish as "near normal." And rainfall totals for the previous 30 days were at 50 to 75 percent of normal, Manola said, compared to less than 50 percent across much of the state.

Manola said the information came from discussions with OHSEP Director Deano Moran, fire consultant Butch Browning, and State Climatologist Jay Grimes.

"We're just asking residents to be diligent and continue to monitor our social media posts," Manola said. "Should conditions change requiring additional procedures to be put in place, we will notify them through press releases and reporting to our local news sources by our public information officer."

Statewide Fire Conditions

Monday's fire in Erwinville occurred against a backdrop of dangerous fire conditions that have persisted across Louisiana for weeks. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry reported that firefighters across the state battled 44 wildfires over a single weekend in late February. Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain urged all residents to avoid any open burning.

"We're asking everyone, please do not light that match," Strain said on February 24.

Strain has also warned that dead grass left behind by a recent freeze is a fire hazard that often goes unnoticed, and that large fires have started from small debris piles near homes and outbuildings across the state.

The National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings covering West Baton Rouge Parish on multiple occasions in late February, citing sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph and relative humidity as low as 20 to 25 percent — conditions that cause fires to catch and spread quickly.

As of late February, more than 20 parishes across Louisiana had implemented burn bans in response to the conditions. West Baton Rouge Parish was not among them.

The Question Remains

Monday's fire is one of several fire-related incidents in West Baton Rouge Parish in recent days. On February 23, fire units responded to a brush and grass fire near Grand Bayou. On February 24, units were dispatched to a vehicle fire on South River Road near Dow Gate 11 that spread to a nearby sugarcane field, with a caller reporting it was out of control.

At the February 26 council meeting, Manola said the parish would notify residents through press releases issued by the parish's Public Information Officer "should conditions change." He did not specify what threshold would trigger a burn ban. As of Monday evening, no public statement had been issued by the parish regarding the fire.

The West Baton Rouge Fire Department can be reached for fire emergencies at 911. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry's 24-hour emergency hotline is 1-855-452-5323.