NEW ORLEANS, LA – Following the third bridge fire in just over a week, Mayor LaToya Cantrell has formally requested federal wildfire relief funding, citing what she called “a uniquely urban wildfire situation with a strong cultural component.”
The request, sent to FEMA late Tuesday, describes the overpass blazes as “a natural disaster caused by unnatural living conditions,” and argues that the city deserves the same consideration as fire-ravaged regions out West. “Our people may not have forests,” Cantrell wrote, “but we have bridges, and they burn beautifully.”
State officials confirmed the flames were sparked by encampment fires under I-10 and the Crescent City Connection. “We’ve reached a point where our infrastructure needs both maintenance and fire insurance,” said a member of Cantrell’s administration.
In an accompanying press conference, the mayor proposed renaming the city’s bridges “controlled burn zones” to qualify for environmental credits. She added that, if approved, federal funds would go toward installing “fire-resistant mardi gras stands” and hiring a “Bridge Sommelier” to pair each blaze with an appropriate wine.
FEMA has not yet responded, reportedly because staff are still trying to determine whether the application was serious.
