Louisiana plagued by unprecedented wildfires, as largest active blaze grows

By SARA CLINE
Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — One of the largest wildfires in Louisiana history continues to burn through land and threaten rural communities, which are used to flooding and hurricanes this time of year rather than drought and blazes. Louisiana has had an unprecedented wildfire season as dry conditions and extreme heat persist. This month alone, there have been about 600 wildfires across the state, and officials say there will likely be more in the weeks ahead. The state’s largest active blaze, the Tiger Island Fire in southwestern Louisiana, doubled in size over the weekend, growing to 33,000 acres — accounting for more acres of burned land than the state usually has in an entire year. As of Tuesday morning, the fire was 50% contained.