With dry conditions persisting, burn bans are active in 10 counties throughout the state, including Clay and Noxubee, according to the Mississippi Forestry Commission.
But even more are coming to the Golden Triangle, as Starkville is already under a ban, another is on the way for Lowndes County starting Sunday, and one in Oktibbeha may be on the horizon.
“Due to the extremely dry conditions, several county boards of supervisors have requested burn bans,” Mississippi Forestry Commission State Forester Russell Bozeman said in a Monday press release. “A burn ban prohibits outdoor burning, and is a clear indicator that erratic wildfire conditions exist endangering the public and our wildland firefighters that are responding.”
Burn bans apply to any fire that involves an open flame and produces an ember, according to MFC. Things like campfires, bonfires and fire pits that produce sparks are not allowed under MFC bans, while gas grills or charcoal grills are.
Neal Austin, fire services coordinator for Lowndes County, said he has already gotten approval for a burn ban from Lowndes County supervisors and sent off the paperwork to the forestry commission.
The ban will run through Oct. 1 unless it is extended due to weather conditions, he said.
“We’ve had a few fires, not a whole lot,” Austin said. “But based on that (MFC moisture) information, we are getting into a danger zone, so we’re going to go ahead and do it.”
Austin warned that there is a fine associated with the ban, which is typically enforced by local sheriff’s departments. State law allows those who violate a burn ban to be charged with a misdemeanor and fined between $100 to $500.
While Oktibbeha County has not yet issued a burn ban, Fire Services Coordinator Patrick Warner told The Dispatch he is monitoring the situation closely.
“After discussing with the Mississippi Forestry, we are waiting (until) the end of the week to make a decision on whether to enact a burn ban,” he wrote in a text message to The Dispatch.
Even without a county-wide ban in place, Starkville Fire Department announced a city burn ban Aug. 22 on its Facebook page. SFD Chief Charles Yarbrough said he and the fire marshal decided to initiate the city ban as a preemptive measure.
“We know from last year, we had so many fires last year in the city when we didn’t have any rain,” Yarbrough said. “We just don’t want to get to that point. So we have that going on right now, because we don’t want a fire to get out of control and burn a structure down and get somebody killed.”
Yarbrough said the burn ban will follow the same general MFC guidelines on burning as the others, though the city ban will run indefinitely until “significant rain” falls. The press release from MFC said six to seven inches of rain needs to fall before soil moisture levels return to normal, lowering the risk of wildfires.
The city will not issue any burn permits while the ban is active.
West Point Fire Department Chief Ken Wilbourn told The Dispatch Clay County supervisors voted to initiate a countywide burn ban during their Monday meeting. The Clay ban currently runs through Sept. 28, he said.
Likewise, in Noxubee County, Fire Services Coordinator Jim Robbins said supervisors voted to pass a ban Aug. 23. The Noxubee ban currently runs through Sept. 23, he said.
Burn bans are also active in Adams, Alcorn, Carroll, Franklin, Lee, Monroe, Montgomery and Winston counties. A burn ban will also take effect Sunday in Union county.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
