A Burn Ban put in place earlier this month in Scott County expired Tuesday, but caution is still urged with any outside buring.
The county joined over a dozen other Mississippi counties on March 3 implementing a burn ban due to a combination of drought-like conditions and humidity levels which had resulted in an air quality alert also being issued in some areas of central Mississippi.
The Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) reported then that 13 counties across Mississippi, were under active burn bans and the number was steadily growing. The additional counties were Franklin, Hinds, Jefferson Davis, Pike, Walthall, Wilkinson, Amite, Copiah, Rankin, Adams, Simpson, Winston Warren, and Lawrence.
The MFC urges the public to exercise extreme caution when starting outdoor fires, even when not under a burn ban, as even a small spark or ember can ignite a wildfire. To help reduce the risk, the following safety tips are recommended when a burn ban is not in effect:
• Verify if there is a city or county burn ban in effect. County burn bans are listed at www.mfc.ms.gov/burn-bans. Check with local authorities for city-specific bans.
• Avoid burning on windy days.
• Never leave a fire unattended.
• Ensure that coals are completely cool to the touch before leaving a site, indicating the fire is fully extinguished.
• Consider waiting until after a rainfall before initiating any outdoor burning.
Smokey Bear’s reminder, “Only you can prevent wildfires,” is particularly relevant for all Mississippians in these dry conditions.
