Back to top

Follow Up on June 2014 In-Situ Burn

On September 9, 2014, the Science and Technology Subcommittee of the New Orleans Area Committee returned to the site of an in-situ burn which was conducted on June 3-4, 2014.


The in-situ burn consumed much of the 100 barrels of crude oil spilled in the coastal marsh of the Delta National Wildlife Refuge. Cleanup crews continued to work the area for 6 weeks after the burn to remove the remaining oil, using water flushing and vegetation cutting and removal.

The subcommittee had not visited the site since shortly after the burn and observed a good bit of vegetation regrowth. The dominate species in the area is Roseau cane (Phragmites australis), which can grow in dense stands with few other plant species present. The burn and subsequent response operations removed much of the above ground growth of the Roseau cane. The Roseau cane in the burned areas is now 3-5 feet tall, and several other plant species are also growing with the cane in the burned areas, including bull tongue (Sagittaria lancifolia), duck potato (Sagittaria latifolia), and pontederia (Pontederia cordata).

The subcommittee also took sediment samples and water quality data. This data is being compiled as part of a 2 year study to help ensure appropriate use of in-situ burning as a response method.

Read our blog post, In a Louisiana Marsh, an Uncommon Opportunity to Learn about Burning Oil, to learn more about the use of in-situ burning during this oil spill response.

Three men on a boat, working in a marsh.
Field Team at an “oiled and burned” station, close to the source location. (NOAA)
Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:49pm PST