AMITE — Tangipahoa Parish is under a burn ban effective immediately due to extremely dry conditions.

Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller issued the parish-wide ban Saturday afternoon; it will remain in place until further notice.

"Things are getting really dry, just like they were last year at this time, and we were really busy with fire last year. We're starting to see an uptick in grass and woods fires throughout the parish, so we just want to bring people's awareness to it. They really can cause severe damage if they get out of hand," said Hammond Fire Chief Daniel Folks.

The burn ban includes all open residential and commercial burning but does not include bar-b-que pits, grills or fire pits.

Miller asks that citizens “use extreme caution.”

A map of parishes currently under burn bans can be found here.