The Southern Area Red Incident Management Team assumed command of the Tiger Island Fire on Sunday August 27, 2023. The Southern Area Blue Team assumed command from the Red team on September 10th. The Tiger Island Fire is under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.   

Primary Fuel Types:
Southern Rough
Timber (Litter and Understory)
Medium Logging Slash

Narrative:
Pine plantations of multiple ages. Fuel loads in these pine plantations can be very high. The fire area is intermixed with creeks and swamp areas. This mixture of fuel and terrain types makes access difficult. Oil and gas infrastructure and private residences are scattered throughout the fire area.  

Live fuel moisture samples taken on site are at critical levels and can be treated as dead vegetation.   

Heavy residual fuels as a result of Hurricane Laura in 2020 exist and contribute to extreme fire behavior and resistance to control. 

Observed Fire Behavior:
Moderate
Backing
Creeping
Smoldering

Narrative:
Fire behavior is expected to be minimal today and the weather outlook will support increasing rain chances and higher Rh values the remainder of the week. Dry air returning for the weekend. Heavy fuel (vegetation) loads, needle cast, and burned large trees holding heat exacerbate control of the fire and are causing reburn within the control lines. Fuel loads in pine plantations are very high. The fire area is intermixed with drought-impacted creeks and swamp areas.

This mixture of vegetation and terrain types makes access difficult. Private residences are scattered around the fire area.

12 hours: As the cloud cover burns off in the afternoon humidity will decrease to around 50

24 hours: As the marine influence gradually recedes, resulting in clearing skies with daytime temperatures increasing slightly as the humidity drops allowing for continued fire activity. Overnight there is a potential for a thermal belt to develop and allow some fire activity to continue in the affected areas. The heavier fuels and burning stump holes will continue to produce smoke until consumed or extinguished resulting in areas of smoldering and creeping. During the peak burn period there may be some active backing and flanking in interior green islands or dirty burn areas, particularly those areas exposed to the sun.

48 hours: Developing moderate high pressure increasing warmer temperatures and lower humidity. This will allow for hot dry conditions increasing the availability of fuels and fire activity. The heavier fuels and burning stump holes will continue to produce smoke until consumed or extinguished. There could be areas of smoldering and creeping. During the peak burn period there may be some active backing and flanking in interior green islands or dirty burn areas.

72 hours: The high pressure will provide warmer temperatures and lower humidity.