Officials urge caution as Stone County enacts burn ban
STONE COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV)- Stone County is now under a burn ban as dry conditions continue to drive up the risk of wildfires.
The ban is currently set to remain in effect through November 2.
WXXV News 25’s Brynne Baxley spoke with state and local fire officials about what you need to avoid until conditions improve.
More than half of Mississippi counties are now under burn bans.
The Mississippi Forestry Commission approved the Stone County Board of Supervisors requests for a burn ban on Monday. Kevin Craft with the Foresty Commission said, “Yeah, well, since October 1st, we’ve had 467 wildfires that burned 4,948 acres across the state.”
Craft says the recent lack of rain has created dry conditions across the state and increased the risk of wildfires. He’s urging people to avoid any outdoor burning until conditions improve. “Just be careful, like don’t do any outdoor flame. One of the big things is like even something like dumping charcoal out during the drought, that kind of thing. But during a burn ban, just be extremely careful doing anything that could cause a spark. Because like I said, trailer chains, people don’t think about that as far as could create a wildfire, but that is a big cause of a wildfire, if you’re not careful.”
Wiggins Fire Chief and the Stone County Deputy Fire Director Steven Purvis says they’ve seen a slight uptick in brush fires and are working to keep them from spreading.
The sheriff’s office is enforcing the burn ban and anyone caught burning could face fines ranging from $100 to $500.
If you need to get rid of yard debris or trash, Purvis says its best to find another way to dispose of it. “So the best thing, you know if it’s something you have to get rid of, use your local resources from whether it’s in the city, there’s places you can take it to to dispose of. Also, in the county, there’s the county disposal site would be the best way to get rid of rubbish and stuff like that during the burn ban.”
The burn ban is currently set to expire November 2, but officials say it could be extended if conditions don’t improve.
