LSU Reverses Tailgating Cooking Policy as Louisiana Burn Ban Continues

BATON ROUGE, La. (KPEL News) - Tailgaters wanting to cook up their favorite pregame foods will now be allowed to do so at LSU football games as the university has reversed its outdoor cooking policy following a rule change by the Office of The Louisiana Fire Marshal on Wednesday.

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The rule change comes just in time for LSU's home opener on Saturday against Grambling. While the rule change allows Louisiana residents to begin cooking outdoors again there are now tighter restrictions on what can be burned outdoors, points out this WAFB article.

The latest guidelines state:

Louisiana residents can resume outdoor cooking with safety measures in place. These measures include using contained cooking equipment like grills and smokers, designed for cooking purposes only, on a flame-resistant surface with a water source or fire extinguisher nearby. The fuel source for this equipment (propane, charcoal, pellets, etc.) is not a factor in its acceptable use. The use of open flames in fire pits, campfires, barrels, bonfires, burn piles, and like open burning is still prohibited.

LSU says it will follow this policy to allow outdoor cooking at its tailgating events. How will other universities react to the rule change from the State Fire Marshal's Office?

When Will Louisiana's Burn Ban Be Lifted?

With the recent rains, there has been hope for the statewide burn ban to be lifted sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, there are still wildfires burning across the state.

Hundreds of firefighters are still working hard to extinguish those fires and there’s a grave concern more can develop,” said State Fire Marshal Chief Dan Wallis, “This decision (to keep the statewide burn ban in place) was not made lightly, but it is being made with public safety, including the safety of our first responders, as the top priority.

With this week's extension, there has been no date given as to when the statewide burn ban will be lifted.