NEW ORLEANS — On Thursday, reports of smoke came in from across the New Orleans metro from Uptown, to Algiers, and Harahan.
Chalmette resident, Harry Joseph Gioe, said the smoke woke him up in the middle of the night.
“The smell in my house was unreal, the smoke," Gioe said, “And I’m thinking, we’re in trouble now. Now it’s in my house. It’s never been in my house before, and I’m stage four COPD, on oxygen and having trouble breathing all the time.”
Gioe lives near two active fires.
St. Bernard Sheriff's Office and Fire Department used airboats on Wednesday to contain a marsh fire near Violet.
St. Bernard Fire Chief, Earl Borden, said the area is difficult to get to.
“Pretty inaccessible, but there was a lot of smoke, and there was a camp that was in that area that it was getting close to," Borden said, “Yesterday we contained about 80 percent of it.”
Borden said other fires are now causing the majority of smoke.
“When the wind shifts, it affects our community. The smoke comes across our community," Borden said.
The Jean Lafitte fire is now 8- percent contained with no visible smoke, according to a press release on Thursday.
Borden said the biggest issue is the New Orleans East fire.
New Orleans city leaders said it’s burned about 200 acres of private property, and equipment is pumping water from canals to the wooded area.
Gioe said he wished leaders would do more for children and those with health conditions. He said he didn't receive any warning about the air quality.
“It’s surrounded by water. I mean, it doesn’t take a scientist to get in there and put it out," Gioe said.
Most of Louisiana remains under a burn ban, including St. Bernard, Orleans and Jefferson parishes.
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