Officials urge caution as wildfires spread across south Mississippi
PERRY COUNTY, Mississippi — Fire officials urged residents to avoid outdoor burning and use extreme caution after dangerous fire conditions contributed to wildfires across south and central Mississippi over the weekend, authorities said.
An estimated 500-acre fire burned near Paret Tower Road in Perry County, prompting law enforcement to issue evacuation orders and assist residents as flames threatened homes and other structures, authorities said.
The National Weather Service said a combination of gusty winds, somewhat dry fuels and low relative humidity is creating significant fire danger and has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of south Mississippi and northeast Louisiana along the Highway 84 corridor, where fuels are especially dry. The Weather Service said open burning should not be attempted in the warning area because wildfires can spread rapidly; officials said outdoor burning is discouraged farther north where fires are more likely to escape control.
Multiple agencies responded to the Perry County blaze, including the Mississippi Forestry Commission, the Beaumont Volunteer Fire Department and the Carnes Volunteer Fire Department, along with local law enforcement and other first responders. Interstate 12 was shut down in both directions between Highway 59 and Highway 434 because of active forest fires. The cause of the Perry County fire remains under investigation.
In Copiah County, a debris burn on Barnes Road grew out of control Sunday morning and became a brush fire that destroyed about 50 acres of grass and brush, the Crystal Springs Volunteer Fire Department said. Officials told reporters the fire started about 10:30 a.m. when a homeowner was burning debris and high winds pushed the flames beyond the homeowner’s control.
Authorities noted there are no county-issued burn bans in effect; burn bans must be enacted by county boards of supervisors and are not automatically triggered by hazardous conditions. Officials said residents should not interpret the absence of a burn ban as an indication that conditions are safe and asked the public to avoid open burning during periods of high wind and low humidity and to follow evacuation orders and updates from local officials as conditions evolve. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
