Jackson County woods fire now 100 percent contained

MOSS POINT, Miss. (WXXV)- The woods fire in Jackson County is now fully contained, but officials say smoke could continue to impact the surrounding area for several weeks.

The fire broke out just before 2 p.m. Sunday off Elmer Hamilton Road in Moss Point, north of Highway 614 and east of Highway 63.

According to the Mississippi Forestry Commission, the fire burned approximately 27 acres before crews reached 100 percent containment.

Despite the progress, smoke is expected to linger in the area for several weeks until significant rainfall helps extinguish the remaining hot spots. Kevin Craft with Mississippi Forestry Commission said, “At this current time since October 1st, we had over 600 wild fires that burnt over 9,000 acres here in the state of Mississippi. We’re averaging around 30 fires a day at this current time. We use dozer plow units to contain the blaze by cutting fire breaks around to stop the progression of the fire. Do not do any outdoor burning at this current time in these drought conditions. Make sure whenever you’re hooking up trailers, before you go down the road, make sure it’s secured and just don’t do any outdoor burning at this current time.”

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and residents in the surrounding area are encouraged to remain cautious as smoke persists.