You could see the black smoke from all over town on the morning of Tuesday, June 16th.  Something was ablaze and it looked like a big one.  As The Journal got closer it looked to be in a residential area near the high school.  It was on Brown Street which was blocked by firefighting apparatuses.

A white frame house was fully engulfed.  Flames were jumping high into the air.  Firefighters were spraying the burning structure, adjacent buildings and a vehicle parked next to a neighboring house.

Chief Shane Felts was there, manning one hose.  Mayor Johnny Cox was there observing.  Coushatta Police units secured the scene.

The fire was real.  However it was a training exercise.

A little background.  Several months ago the Town Council decided to do something about the numerous vacant, run down and blighted structures in Coushatta.  The town’s attorney sent letters notifying owners of blighted property to clean up, repair or demolish those properties.

The little white frame house on Brown Street was one of those properties.  Mayor Cox told The Journal this was building was scheduled to be demolished.  Cox did not name the property owner other than he was not currently a resident of Coushatta.  Cox did say that the property owner agreed to let the Fire Department use the house as a training exercise.

The property was set ablaze after firefighters were in place to protect nearby structures and vehicles.  Firefighters had an opportunity to deal with an actual fire, to train with their equipment, and to upgrade their skills in controlling an actual blaze.

Similar controlled burns have occurred in the past few years.  Most memorable among them were the fire training exercise at the abandoned house on Alonzo Street across from the Library and the controlled burn that demolished the house on Carroll Street adjacent to the football field house.