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Louisiana is opening an Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the response to hundreds of wildfires across the state this summer.
Officials say the ongoing fires have put a strain on firefighters and the hot and dry weather is making conditions more dangerous.
The statement noted that wildfires in Beauregard Parish have grown "tremendously" over the past 24 hours, leading to evacuations near Merryville.
The governor's office said the state is reviewing support requests from local partners and will do "everything reasonably possible" to assist them.
According to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the number of wildfires has grown tremendously since the conditions started:
- May - 21 Fires/74 Acres
- June - 65 Fires/297 Acres
- July - 128 Fires/1,362 Acres
- August - 357 Fires/4,909 Acres (as of 08/21/23)
“It is extremely important that the public adhere to the burn ban,” said GOHSEP Director Casey Tingle.
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