Lee County Issues Burn Ban Amid Dry Conditions
TUPELO, Miss. – Lee County officials have issued a burn ban for public safety as dry conditions continue across Northeast Mississippi, marking the county’s first ban of the season.
The ban, approved by the Mississippi Forestry Commission, went into effect Friday, September 19, and will run through October 19. At present, Lee and Jefferson Davis counties are the only ones in the state under burn bans.
Emergency Services Director Marc Flanagan said recent fires prompted the decision.
“We had a large grass and brush fire that got into an old structure in District 2 last Saturday that caused one of our firefighters to be hospitalized and had surgery on Wednesday for a collapsed lung,” Flanagan explained. “That fire required us to get help from Pontotoc County and Union County.”
Although the ban is active, the Lee County Board of Supervisors has not yet ratified the order. They are expected to vote at their next meeting on October 2. In the meantime, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office is enforcing the ban. Under state law, violators face fines of $100 to $500.
The National Weather Service reports that all of North Mississippi is experiencing moderate to severe drought, with the region categorized as “abnormally dry.” Although a 40% chance of thunderstorms is forecast later this week, officials caution that meaningful relief requires slow, steady rainfall to soak into the soil.
