Supervisors issue burn ban thru Oct. 16

A countywide burn ban has been issued through Oct. 16 by the Neshoba County Board of Supervisors. 

The countywide ban will be reevaluated based on weather conditions at the next meeting of the board on Oct. 16, officials said. 

The lack of rain has resulted in multiple grass fires and has caused quite a bit of concern from fire officials in Neshoba County, according to the supervisors.

A large forest fire in the Waldo community off of Mississippi 488 near Road 339 on Monday caused two sheds to be destroyed along with other damage, officials said.

Fairview, Dixon, and Hope fire departments all responded.  The Mississippi Forestry Commission responded with 2 bulldozers.  

There were three houses that the fire departments were working to keep the flames away from, said County Administrator Jeff Mayo.

No homes sustained any fire damage.  There were a couple of sheds lost on the east and west sides of the fire, he said.   

Forestry arrived and started cutting a fire lane on the east side working around the fire to the west.   The fire later jumped the lane on the east side and eventually got two of the sheds.  The sheds on the west side burned before Forestry was able to do a fire lane cut. 

Neshoba County Fire Coordinator Darrell Wilson asked the Board of Supervisors for the burn ban Monday morning where he reported six grass fires during the month of July and 26 fires in August, 42 fires in September, and several other fires so far this month.

Much of the state has been under a burn ban since August.

There are no exemptions to the burn ban, and it applies to all of Neshoba County, including the city, according to the supervisors.

Any person who knowingly and willfully violates the order under Miss. Code Ann. § 49-19-351 is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be fined not less than $100 and no more than $500.

The Mississippi Forestry Commission’s website says that “Anything with an open flame that produces an ember is not allowed during a burn ban. The wind can carry floating embers away from the original fire and start a spot fire up to one-half mile away from the burning area. This includes campfires, bonfires, fire pits, fire rings, burn barrels, debris burning, and field burning.”

Mayo said that he and Fairview VFD Chief Toby Stovall would like to thank all of the citizens who stopped and helped, all the VFD personnel who responded, Neshoba County 911, the Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department who helped with keeping traffic under control, and “anyone else that was there helping we may have missed.”