Sabine Parish wildfires contained; at least 8 houses destroyed or heavily damaged
Some residents told to evacuate as blazes spread
SABINE PARISH, La. (KSLA) — At least eight houses were destroyed or heavily damaged by two wildfires on Monday, Aug. 14 in Sabine Parish, authorities said.
Forestry Service personnel have established fire lines around the blazes, the latest of which started between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. And at 9:06 p.m., the sheriff’s office said the wildfires have been contained.
Authorities said they have not seen it so dry nor a fire so fast-moving as these.
Around 2:15 p.m., multiple fire crews responded to a large woods fire near Corleyville Road in the Mount Carmel area. Residents there should take precautions and be prepared to evacuate, the sheriff’s office warned.
Around 4:45 p.m., residents of the Plain View community were urged to evacuate. The sheriff’s office said the fire there was traveling southeast from the area of Mount Carmel Cutoff Road and Louisiana Highway 118.
In one of multiple Facebook posts, the sheriff’s office described it as a dangerous, developing situation. People were asked to avoid the area.
At 4:01 p.m., the sheriff’s office posted: “There are several uncontained wildfires in Sabine Parish at this time. The most severe is west of Florien and the fire is spreading south.”
Residents of the following have been evacuated:
- Mount Carmel Cut-Off Road
- Lee Jordan Road
- Sonny Road
- Monroe Skinner Road
- Mount Carmel Community
- Landon Road
LA 118 is shut down between US 171 and Mount Carmel Baptist Church.
Earlier, residents of the following areas were urged to evacuate immediately:
- Mount Carmel Cutoff Road
- Monroe Skinner Road
- Lee Jordan Road
- Corleyville Road
- Sneed Road
- Plain View area
The Florien Civic Center and the churches have opened to provide food for evacuees and to give them a place to cool down:
- Florien First Baptist
- Warren Baptist
- Ebenezer Baptist
- Antioch Baptist
- Grace Assembly in Hornbeck
- Trinity Baptist in Many
The wildfires come on the heels of Gov. John Bel Edwards declaring a state of emergency due to the extreme heat and dry conditions the state has been experiencing the past few weeks. The entire state is currently under a burn ban.
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