Excessive Heat Takes Aim at Christmas Tree Farm in Kentwood Near Louisiana-Mississippi Border

KENTWOOD, La. (KPEL News) - It looks like the summer heat baking Louisiana is going to have an impact on Christmas, at least in one corner of the state near the Mississippi state line.

Get our free mobile app

Christmas Town, a tree farm in Kentwood, Tangipahoa Parish, made the announcement earlier in the week that they will not be open for business this Christmas.

“Just the heat itself possibly killed the trees," said owner Lisa Miller to our news partners at Louisiana Radio Network. "Not so much the drought. And just the extent of heat possibly got them as well.”

The farm, which allows customers to cut down their own trees, has been in business for 14 years. On the Drought Monitor map, Tangipahoa Parish sits under the Exceptional Drought territory.

The weather is killing more and more trees every day as Miller just quit counting the dead trees. And, dead trees don't just come back to life. It seems as it Mother Nature has decided to play the Grinch this year.

When Will Louisiana's Burn Ban Be Lifted?

With the recent rains, there has been hope for the statewide burn ban to be lifted sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, there are still wildfires burning across the state.

Hundreds of firefighters are still working hard to extinguish those fires and there’s a grave concern more can develop,” said State Fire Marshal Chief Dan Wallis, “This decision (to keep the statewide burn ban in place) was not made lightly, but it is being made with public safety, including the safety of our first responders, as the top priority.

With this week's extension, there has been no date given as to when the statewide burn ban will be lifted.