ACADIA PARISH — Residents living near a residential area say ongoing burning over the past month or two has filled the neighborhood with smoke and strong odors, limiting outdoor activity and raising health concerns.
One neighbor, who agreed to speak with us off camera, said the burning often happens in the evenings — around the same time children would normally play outside.
“Later in the evenings, whenever it’s time for the kids to come back home and play outside, we really haven’t had the opportunity to because of all the smell that’s coming from the big pile of stuff burning,” the neighbor said. “Some say they’re making potash, but we don’t really know what it is.”
The neighbor said they have seen repeated deliveries of material being brought onto the property.
“We’ve seen them bring in truckloads of material, and they seem to not care to stop at all,” the neighbor said.
Several neighbors said the smoke has made them feel shut in, saying the smell lingers whether they stay indoors or go outside.
“We don’t want to come outside to enjoy the pretty weather and go back inside smelling like bonfire, with people coughing and the kids just not having a good time at all,” the neighbor said.
Health concerns are a major issue for the families, especially those with children or elderly relatives.
“It’s really just the kids,” the neighbor said. “They’re not able to play outside as much. And I know my mom has a lung issue, so even if she wanted to see her grandkids play outside, she really can’t because she’ll go back in the house and just keep coughing and coughing.”
The neighbor added that the odor has begun seeping into homes, leaving clothing and furniture smelling like smoke.
“Some of our clothes are starting to smell it in our houses,” they said. “It seeps in through the doors with us going in and out.”
Residents also said the situation has changed how their children experience living in a rural area.
“We live all the way out in the country, so that’s why we live out here — so we can ride the four wheelers, ride the range, just play with the chickens,” the neighbor said. “It’s just not fair to them.”
“We get to live in the country and they can’t go outside, you know, because of the burning,” they added.
Parish Administrator Corey Vincent said the parish has received constant calls from residents regarding the burning. Vincent said the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has been notified and the situation is currently under investigation, limiting what officials can share publicly.
According to Vincent, the parish and the resident responsible for the property have reached an agreement, giving the resident 20 to 30 days to clean up the site and vacate the area.
The resident in question declined to comment.
