by Wesley Harris
A woods fire that blazed quickly last Thursday afternoon in Ruston took advantage of the area’s extremely dry conditions.
The fire in a wooded area between East Mississippi Avenue and the Kansas City Southern Railroad was extinguished by firefighters four agencies, and firefighters returned to the area Friday to continue wetting down smoldering material.
The fire occurred just east of the Farmerville Street bridge and was associated with a tree falling onto a power line, according to information released by the Ruston Police Department. The incident caused a power outage that knocked out several traffic signals around the city.
As firefighters battled the blaze Thursday, police asked motorists to avoid the Mississippi Avenue area near the Lincoln Parish Early Childhood Center while emergency crews worked. Drivers were also reminded to treat intersections with nonfunctioning traffic signals as four-way stops.
The Ruston Fire Department reported Thursday afternoon that the fire had been contained. Extremely dry conditions and the fire’s proximity to nearby residences prompted the dispatch of additional units from outside Ruston. Lincoln Parish Fire Protection District No. 1, Choudrant Fire Department, a firefighting crew from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and Pafford EMS assisted Ruston firefighters. Smoke visible after containment was attributed to smoldering timber.
Firefighters remained concerned about hot spots Friday. East Mississippi Avenue between Neal Street and Cartwright Drive was closed for several hours midday Friday to allow firefighters to use nearby hydrants and apply additional water to smoldering areas.
The fire department said Friday that the blaze had been extinguished and there was no active fire. However, some smoke and smoldering could continue for several days while the burned area cools.
No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported in the information released by authorities.
Lincoln Parish remains under a strict burn ban.
