UPDATE: 30,000 acres have burned across the state, governor says
Published 5:33 pm Saturday, August 26, 2023
- Commissioner Mike Strain and Gov. John Bel Edwards tour the Sabine Parish wildfires by helicopter Friday. (Special to the American Press)
Gov. John Bel Edwards said while Louisiana is “pretty good and practiced” at emergency response, it’s “not so much on wildfires.”
“We have a pretty steep learning curve, but I can tell you I’m pretty proud of the work that is happening and the teamwork we have seen,” Edwards said.
About 243 National Guard soldiers from multiple states are helping fight wildfires across the state. Edwards said about 30,000 acres have burned this month, resulting in the loss of 22 homes in Sabine Parish and two in Leesville.
A CH-47 Chinook is already in the area helping to combat the wildfires and two Blackhawk helicopters will be heading to Louisiana from Tennessee early next week. NASA is also tracking the fires via satellite.
