Gov. Haley Barbour has issued a statewide burn ban as record dry weather continues to increase the risk of wildfires in Mississippi.
Barbour”s state of emergency bans all outdoor burning because of extremely dry conditions statewide.
The ban comes just one day after a wildfire in Madison County burned at least 560 acres and forced some residents to evacuate before firefighters brought it under control.
Dozens of fires have been reported throughout the state. Madison County alone has recorded more than 50 wildfires in a little more than a week.
A blaze in Newton and Lauderdale counties last week caused an estimated $1 million in damage to timber. Investigators believe that fire started from a burning bag of trash.
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