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A mandatory evacuation was ordered on Thursday evening for the entire town of Merryville as a massive wildfire encroaches upon the town. Meanwhile, Newton County Sheriff Robert Burby said that he and his deputies along with the Bon Wier Fire Department and County Judge Ronnie Cochran were staged in Bon Wier and ready to assist officials in Beauregard Parish if needed. The fire began earlier this week between Merryville and Singer, and despite the efforts of firefighters to stop it, it has continued to move unabated. The population of Merryville is just over 1,100 people. Local officials had busses standing by at the center of town and ready to transport anyone who needed a ride out of town.