Patterson, Louisiana

Hurricane Rita Debris Fire - June 7, 2006

WFO Lake Charles was contacted by the Fire Chief of Patterson, Louisiana to provide wind forecasts.  A pile of debris caused by Hurricane Rita’s storm surge had caught fire just south of the town.  The fire’s location in the marsh hampered the department’s efforts to extinguish the fire, and thick plumes of smoke poured from the debris pile.  Our forecasts were used by the Fire Chief to determine where and when residents of Patterson would need to be evacuated to avoid the smoke.

Two HAZMAT Spot Forecasts were issued daily:  at 5 am for operational planning purposes and around 7 pm to determine the overnight fire behavior. Through June 25^th, a total of 36 HAZMAT Spot Forecasts were issued in support of clean up operations.