JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas — Stubborn marsh fires that have burned west of Port Arthur for about a month has caused a lot of problems and frustration for residents.
Authorities have had to keep shutting down Highway 73 due to low visibility. The most recent closure happened late Sunday night.
Taylor Landing residents like Kaylee Allen say it's becoming more than just an inconvenience.
Allen says she feels trapped inside her house. Between the road closures and the consistent smell of smoke, it makes it unbearable to be outside and difficult to make plans to leave the house
"I mean our little community, we can't leave our house most of the time due to the closures and health issues are really intense right now. So, there's a lot of concern," she said.
Taylor Landing in an incorporated area located in the outskirts of Jefferson County.
The only way in and out of it, is through Highway 73.
"The other day we had a closure that was notified on Facebook and it was closed at 11:30 p.m. and it wasn't reopened until after 8 a.m. the next morning and I mean again, and if we just are being notified until last minute, I mean people have to leave and go to work," Allen said.
At times the smoke from unexplained marsh fires is so thick, it makes visibility poor and the road unsafe to drive on.
"There was a wreck that I was almost involved in taking my son to school," she said.
Residents tell 12News, they are frustrated by these unpredictable closures.
"For example having to take our children to school. we do have people out here that work from home. and when the roads are closed, we aren't even allowed to come back into our own home. so we're stuck outside of our neighborhood and our house."
Port Arthur Fire Chief Greg Benson says they've been working together with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and emergency management to find solutions.
"Well they started popping up here a couple months ago and why? We weren't able to identify the reason, but just that they were popping up, but a lot of that has to deal with the drought that we we're in," he said.
Benson took a helicopter ride above Taylor's Landing to find hotspots.
The fire chief wants to remind everyone to sign up for the Southeast Texas Alerting Network (STAN). Once you sign up, you will get alerts about any road closures.