Is Lafayette Parish Next for a Burn Ban as Drought Worsens Across Acadiana?

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — Burn bans now cover most of Acadiana. Acadia, Vermilion, St. Landry, and Evangeline parishes all have restrictions on open burning. Lafayette and St. Martin Parish are the only two Acadiana jurisdictions without active burn bans, despite moderate drought conditions.

Is Lafayette next?

According to NOAA data, Lafayette Parish sits in a moderate drought zone alongside St. Landry, Evangeline, and portions of Acadia and St. Martin parishes. As of Tuesday, 55% of Louisiana is abnormally dry, with 21% in moderate drought.

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What Lafayette Families Need to Know About Burn Bans

The dry conditions aren’t just numbers on a map. According to National Weather Service data, Lafayette hasn’t seen rain since September 25, when the Lafayette Regional Airport recorded 0.45 inches. That’s three weeks without measurable rainfall during October, typically one of the driest months.

The drought hits hardest in Acadiana and parishes around New Orleans. Lafayette has avoided a burn ban so far, but the same conditions that pushed neighboring parishes to act exist here.

Fire chiefs from Lafayette, Broussard, Carencro, Duson, Milton, Judice, Scott, and Youngsville can implement burn restrictions anytime. In 2023, Lafayette Parish fire chiefs met to discuss burn ban decisions collectively before acting.

How Drought Conditions Compare to 2023’s Severe Fire Season

2023 was worse. That year, brutal drought hit Acadiana and western Louisiana, bringing a statewide burn ban and the Tiger Island Fire—the largest wildfire in Louisiana history. Wildfires burned more than 60,000 acres statewide, with the Tiger Island Fire alone accounting for more than half.

The 2023 drought hammered sugarcane and crawfish operations in Acadiana. Farmers and the state timber industry lost $1.7 billion combined.

But rainfall totals tell a mixed story. Through September 2025, Lafayette recorded 60.72 inches of rain—far more than the 46.49 inches during all of 2023. Since July, though, rainfall has dropped below 2024 levels, putting the region in what meteorologists call a “slight drought.”

Timeline and Local Weather Outlook

The National Weather Service forecast doesn’t offer much relief. This weekend brings a 24% chance of rain, with the same odds Tuesday. Rain chances drop to the teens and single digits until October 27, when forecasters predict 24% followed by 39% the next day.

Lafayette’s rainfall from 2023 through September 2025 shows the variability:

2023: 46.49 inches total (severe drought year) 2024: 71.24 inches total (above-average rainfall) 2025: 60.72 inches through September (on track for average, but dry spell since July)

July through October 2025 rainfall has dropped below the same period in 2024—the conditions that pushed neighboring parishes to act.

What Neighboring Parishes Are Doing Right Now

Burn bans cover most of the Louisiana-Texas border except Calcasieu and coastal Cameron Parish. Fire risk is moving west to east, with Lafayette directly in line.

Acadia Parish put a burn ban in place about a month ago, prohibiting open burning of vegetation, debris, yard waste, and brush. Exception: barbecue grills for outdoor cooking. Vermilion Parish added similar restrictions hours ago, with Parish President Mark Poche saying agricultural burning is still allowed under controlled conditions.

Evangeline Parish also has restrictions. Officials warn the ban “includes anything with an open flame that has the potential to create an ember.” St. Landry Parish has active restrictions too.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has an interactive burn ban map showing current restrictions statewide. The map shows burn bans closing in around Lafayette Parish.

What Happens Next for Lafayette Parish Residents

Lafayette Parish fire officials haven’t announced plans to implement restrictions. But local burn ordinances stay in effect whether a parish-wide ban gets declared or not. Each municipality in Lafayette Parish has its own burning rules residents must follow.

Local fire chiefs can act anytime conditions get bad enough. In 2023, Lafayette Parish fire chiefs met collectively to discuss both statewide burn ban changes and local fire conditions before making decisions together.

Watch local news and official fire department communications for burn ban announcements. When a burn ban gets implemented, it usually prohibits:

• Open flames in fire pits, campfires, barrels, and bonfires
• Burning piles of branches, leaves, and yard debris
• Any outdoor burning that could generate embers

Fire officials typically allow contained cooking equipment like grills and smokers made for cooking. But even these should be used on flame-resistant surfaces with safety measures.

Right now, Lafayette residents who want to burn outdoors should verify compliance with local municipal ordinances and use extreme caution given the dry conditions. No parish-wide ban exists, but the burn restrictions surrounding Lafayette suggest the parish could join its neighbors if conditions don’t improve.

Whether Lafayette is next depends on whether those forecasted rain chances show up—or whether the dry pattern continues pushing local officials toward action.