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Who cleans up? Burgin Avenue trash fire leaves neighbors searching for answers

1 hour 57 seconds ago Tuesday, July 14 2026 Jul 14, 2026 July 14, 2026 6:30 PM July 14, 2026 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Neighbors are trying to figure out who is responsible for cleaning up the mess left behind from a trash fire outside a home, since the homeowner died in June. 

The pile of debris covers the curbside outside the house. It's full of cans, mounds of paper, and furniture. Above the pile that's been burned to a crisp are charred tree limbs and dead leaves. Jennie Seals lives down the street.

"Who did this? Why did they do it?" Seals asked.

Seals cut the grass for Mike Prestridge, the man who lived in the house. He owned both 642 Burgin Ave. and 636 Burgin Ave. Seals says the 636 property remains uninhabitable after suffering years of water damage. 

Following his death, Seals saw someone walking in and out of that house, removing items and placing them at the curb in front of the house next door. 

"Just a steady flow of a gentleman taking things out of the house," she said. 

The city left a yellow notice July 7, stating that debris removal is the homeowner's responsibility, not the city. Then, the next day, in the early morning hours of July 8, the Baton Rouge Fire Department responded to a large trash fire where the debris was left. By the time crews got there, the fire had mostly burned down.

WBRZ first went to take a look at the singed pile on July 9. Since then, it has rained several times, soaking the debris with water. The longer the trash sits, the more of a concern it is for neighborhoods.

"It's way more than an eyesore; it's a health hazard," Seals said.

One neighbor who spoke with WBRZ, but did not want to be on camera, tried to clean it up himself.

"Is the neighborhood responsible? Is the city responsible? Who is responsible for this?" Seals said.

On Tuesday morning, while WBRZ was wrapping up filming, a DPW truck pulled up to file a report. Seals is trying to track down anyone connected with her old neighbor so they can get the help they need to clean up the front yard. 

The Baton Rouge Fire Department says there were no signs of suspicious circumstances. Fire investigators were not called, and no one faces charges.

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