At least seven people were killed Monday morning after a “superfog” of smoke from south Louisiana marsh fires and dense fog caused multiple massive car crashes involving a total of 158 vehicles, authorities said.

Twenty-five people were injured and the number of fatalities may increase as first responders continue to clear the crash scenes and search for victims, Louisiana State Police said in a statement Monday evening.

Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a call for blood donors and asked for prayers “for those hurt and killed.”

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    71 year ago

    The fuck is a “marsh fire”? Aren’t marshes supposed to be wet? How TF does a fucking marsh catch on fire?

    • @WaxiestSteam69
      link
      191 year ago

      Louisianian here. We’re seeing a lot of wildfires in marshy areas due to the extreme drought conditions. The marsh grass is really dry and several areas near me have experienced these fires in normally wet areas that would not burn.

    • andrew_bidlaw
      link
      fedilink
      151 year ago

      Their slow organic decomposition process brings a kind of a non-efficient fuel. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peat Thus in swamps fire can linger for a very long time.

      Peat has a high carbon content and can burn under low moisture conditions. Once ignited by the presence of a heat source (e.g., a wildfire penetrating the subsurface), it smoulders. These smouldering fires can burn undetected for very long periods of time (months, years, and even centuries) propagating in a creeping fashion through the underground peat layer.

      • @REdOG
        link
        English
        31 year ago

        Peat is not commonly found in Louisiana’s wetlands.