BATON ROUGE – State fire officials have ordered a ban on private outdoor burning, according to a release from Fire Marshal Butch Browning.

Browning, along with Louisiana Agricultural Commissioner Mike Strain, issued a cease and desist order on all outdoor burning as of 9 a.m. today. The ban is in effect until further notice.

In the release, Browning and Strain said extremely dry conditions throughout the state and a lack of any consistent rainfall for more than a month prompted the ban. The order allows private burning only with permission from local fire departments or local government agencies.

The ban also does not apply to prescribed burns conducted by trained and certified agriculture and forestry representatives as well as those who conduct prescribed burnings as a generally accepted agricultural practice.