A burn ban is in effect for the city of Starkville and one could be on the way in Oktibbeha County.
The Starkville Fire Department”s Fire Marshal Division Monday announced an outdoor burn ban is in effect due to recent dry conditions in the area and the lack of rain forecast in approaching weather patterns, Fire Marshal Mark McCurdy said. The ban is in effect until further notice.
The Starkville area has not received any measurable rain so far this month and received only .97 inches throughout all of September. National Weather Service forecasts for the next 10 days predict sunny skies over Starkville and high temperatures in the 70s and 80s, with breezy conditions, low humidity and no precipitation – optimal for the spread of wildfires.
On Thursday, a wildfire scorched 80 acres off John Starr Road in southwestern Oktibbeha County. Another smaller wildfire was contained around the same time Thursday near Oktoc, while a third was extinguished Friday in eastern Oktibbeha County.
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors is considering whether to ask the Mississippi Forestry Commission to institute a burn ban in the county. The Forestry Commission already has issued burn bans in 39 counties around the state, including Lowndes and Clay, but not yet in Oktibbeha.
“It”s coming if we don”t get some rain,” Oktibbeha County District 4 Supervisor Daniel Jackson said.
District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard said he planned to contact the Forestry Commission Monday afternoon to discuss the possibility of a burn ban in the county. The Board of Supervisors meets again Oct. 18 and could vote to request a ban.
“I can imagine if we haven”t gotten any rain here in the next two weeks we might have to issue one,” Howard said.
The Forestry Commission on Thursday issued a statewide Wildland Fire Alert due to widespread drought conditions, low humidity, steady winds and dry weather predicted for the next 10 days.
Additionally, the National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch and Red Flag Warning for Oktibbeha, Lowndes and Clay counties. A Fire Weather Watch means critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur, while a Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create “explosive fire growth potential” in areas under a Red Flag Warning, according to a National Weather Service statement.
Both the Forestry Commission and National Weather Service are discouraging people throughout the state from outdoor burning, although a statewide burn ban has not been enacted.
“We would appreciate it if people wouldn”t burn because of the conditions,” said Russell Bozeman, manager of Forest Protection and Forest Information at the Mississippi Forestry Commission. “It”s pretty hot out there and fire activity is increasing.”
In the city of Starkville, the Fire Department”s ban prohibits the burning of brush and other untreated timber or wood. Burning other solid waste already is prohibited in the city.
Residents who purchased burn permits last week and have not yet used them will be able to use the same permit after the ban is lifted without paying another $2 fee, McCurdy said. Organizations which obtained burn permits for Halloween bonfires also would have to abide by the burn ban.
“Hopefully by then the weather will cooperate and we”ll be able to lift the burn ban,” McCurdy said.
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