Hancock County fires have subsided, Forestry officials say

Hancock County Emergency Management officials say the woods fires burning near Bayou La Croix and I-10 have subsided.

Officials are calling the fires in Hancock County the I-10 wildfire, which engulfed more than 1,400 acres of land in the area. Crews working the scenes say the fires are in a smoldering state, with no large flames visible.

The fires also caused officials to close parts of Interstate 10 on Friday and Saturday.

The fire reached its worst point on Saturday, amassing more than 800 acres due to the recent extreme temperatures.

Mississippi Forestry Commission outreach officer Chris Burnham said the wind and high temperatures contributed to the blaze.

“The run for yesterday of 800 acres and it was weather fueled, I mean the wind and the low humidity that we’re having now, down here on the coastal region,” Burnham said. “It’s just hard for us to get in and be able to make those calls and do it safely.

“We’re are going to give it a few more days before we call it complete, just because of weather. The low humidity and the wind coming in and off the Coast. So we’re going to be monitoring it for probably another few days before we will wrap this one up.”

Because of the extreme dry weather, there is a burn ban in Hancock County, Bay St. Louis and eight other counties in the state.

Anyone caught burning a fire could receive a fine of up to $500.