WBRZ - Baton Rouge

NEW ORLEANS - Easterly winds kept a pall of smoke from a big marsh fire over the New Orleans area for the third straight day, and the National Weather Service issued a smoke alert for
seven parishes.

Meteorologists say the smoke could move north - mostly over Lake Pontchartrain - by afternoon or evening.

A state agriculture department helicopter flew over the fire for a survey Tuesday.

Survey results were not immediately available.

Earlier forecasts said southerly winds might sweep out the smoke on Tuesday.

Meteorologist Danielle Manning says a high pressure area stayed put, keeping the winds easterly.

She says disturbed weather over the central Caribbean could move into the Gulf of Mexico - and that likely would keep winds in the same direction, and smoke over the New Orleans area.