Louisiana
Red flag warnings across south Louisiana
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Officials are urging people in Louisiana to be cautious when lighting fires over the next few weeks.
“Currently we’re under a red flag warning, which means conditions are conducive for a fire to get out of control,” said Commissioner Mike Strain, with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
Right now, Louisiana is seeing dry conditions, low humidity, and high wind speeds, which can cause a fire to easily become out of control.
”You need to wait until it’s been raining, and it’s been wet to burn those brush piles, today with the wind speeds as they are and the conditions on the land surrounding the brush pile, we’re advising please do not burn your brush piles,” added Strain.
Louisiana’s state climatologist, Jay Grymes, says the red flag warning won’t last long, but over the next few weeks, it is still a good idea to be cautious.
”A quarter of the state has already implemented some restrictions in terms of activities because conditions are so dry and I wouldn’t be surprised if, between this afternoon and this weekend, we see another five or 10 parishes added to that burn ban list,” said Grymes.
Grymes says the dry conditions are not expected to be quite as bad as last year when we saw wildfires take off across the state, but state officials are still preparing for anything.
”Those fires last year got so big that they didn’t even have the ground machinery to handle the fires, so LDAF is in the process of changing that in some locations and in terms of the equipment and the arsenal they’ll have, should we have a repeat of last year, not expecting things to get that bad this fall,” added Grymes.
The Central Fire Department is one of the stations ready with equipment.
”Several parishes have the ATVs that we deploy and put out the grass fires, we also have some flappers that we use to walk around the edge of the fire that’s in the field to extinguish it,” said Derek Glover, Asst. Chief for the Central Fire Department.
He said it’s not uncommon in these conditions, especially in rural areas, to see grass fires yearly, and they are ready if the time comes.
“As the grass burns in an open environment, the wind pushes it and it spreads quickly, so we try to stay on the burned side of the fire with the assets. That way there’s no danger of those being in the line of fire,” added Glover.
These experts ask that you do not burn anything, even if you aren’t in a parish with a burn ban, as one member can go a long way in these conditions.
For updates on parishes with burn bans click here.
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Yasin Gungor
19 April 2026•Update: 19 April 2026
At least eight children were killed and two others were wounded in a shooting in the US state of Louisiana, local police said Sunday.
Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said officers responded to the shooting just after 6 am (1100GMT), following a domestic disturbance call.
The age of the deceased ranged from one to 14 years, he said, adding that the incident involved at least 10 individuals across four separate locations.
The suspect attempted to flee by carjacking a vehicle and driving to neighboring Bossier City, where police located and shot him dead.
Bordelon said Shreveport police officers pursued the suspect’s vehicle into Bossier, where three officers discharged their firearms, killing him. He said investigators believe the suspect was the only person who opened fire at the locations.
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux described the attack as “maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” adding: “It’s a terrible morning.”
No immediate information was available about the condition of the injured.
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When it comes to retiring, the best places to do so often are affordable, have a high quality of life and access to quality healthcare.
If you’re looking for a place to retire, Niche has identified the best places for retirees in Louisiana.
In its list, Niche has taken into account factors like weather, crime rates, housing costs and access to amenities.
The 5 best places to retire in Louisiana according to Niche
These are the top five best places to retire in Louisiana, according to Niche.
1. Oak Hills Place
Oak Hills Place is a suburb of Baton Rouge and is the overall best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb, located in East Baton Rouge Parish, has a population of 9,038 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. The area is highly rated for families, diversity, as well as health and fitness. Here, the median home value is $437,900 and the median rent is $1,422, according to Niche.
2. Westminster
Westminster is another suburb of Baton Rouge and is the second-best place to retire in Louisiana. Located in East Baton Rouge Parish, this suburb has a population of 2,559 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. This area is highly rated for nightlife, diversity, families, health and fitness, as well as commute. The median home value here is $266,100 and the median rent is $1,482, says Niche.
3. River Ridge
River Ridge is a suburb of New Orleans, located in Jefferson Parish, and is the third-best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb has a population of 13,312 and offers residents a dense suburban feel. The area is highly rated for public schools, family, nightlife and diversity. The median home value is $357,400 and the median rent is $1,127, according to Niche.
4. Westlake
Westlake is a town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. With a population of 4,743, this town offers residents a rural feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, jobs, cost of living, nightlife and weather. Here, the median home value is $166,100 and the median rent is $1,049, says Niche.
5. Prien
Prien is another town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. This town has a population of 7,119 and offers residents a suburban rural mix feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, nightlife and weather. The median home value here is $278,000 and the median rent is $1,292, according to Niche.
Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
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