VIDALIA — Due to the current dry spell in Concordia Parish, a burn ban has been in effect since Oct. 2.

Concordia Parish Police Jury President Melvin Ferrington said the burn ban is statewide.

“While it is in effect all over the state, they left it up to the local governments,” he said. “And we agreed that we needed to issue one.”

The dryness and lack of rain throughout the parish is what caused the burn ban to be needed, Ferrington said.

“Everything is so dry, it just became necessary to issue the ban,” he said.

Ferrington said the ban will be in effect until the area gets some heavy rainfall.

“We need several inches of rain before we can take this ban off,” he said.

Concordia Fire District No. 2 Chief Nolen Cothren said so far district 2 has not had any major problems with fires.

“We have had just a couple of grass fires,” he said.

While nothing significant has happened yet, Cothren said that still doesn’t mean there is nothing to worry about.

“LaSalle Parish had around 20 fires last week from the dryness,” he said. “We have also experienced woods fires in the past, and when these things break out, they are a pain.”

Burning trash, leaves or limbs in your yard is not permitted during the ban, Cothren said.

Ferrington said the ban will not affect farmers needing to burn their fields.

“Farm property is controlled, and it is usually way out there anyway,” he said. “I believe that all of the farmers pretty much have their fields burned off by now.”