Wildfires continue to run rampant across Mississippi despite the recent rainfall that has spread across the state over the past week, according to the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC).
Mississippi’s partial statewide burn ban was lifted one week ago by Governor Tate Reeves after nearly three months of extreme drought conditions, leaving 27 counties under watch due to bans enacted by the respective boards of supervisors.
In all, the burn ban was enacted in a total of 70 counties in an effort to protect property and the lives of Mississippi residents during the drought period, which spanned from August 1 to November 14.
During that time, MFC wildland firefighters responded to 1,506 wildfire calls that burned approximately 21,919 acres throughout the state. In all, over 2,679 structures were saved from damage or destruction.
Since then, the state has still experienced several major wildfires, including a 150-acre fire that was extinguished by MFC wildland firefighters in Tippah County on Monday.
#MSforestry Commission wildland firefighters are still managing wildfires across MS. This was a 150-acre #wildfire Monday in Tippah County. #OnlyYou #WildfirePrevention #PreventWildfiresMS pic.twitter.com/AmKUGbh8b8
— MS Forestry Commission (@MSForestryComm) November 21, 2023
At this time, a total of 34 counties scattered across Mississippi are currently under a burn ban. Here’s the full list of active burn bans in the state:
- Attala
- Bolivar
- Calhoun
- Carroll
- Chickasaw
- Clay
- Franklin
- Grenada
- Hinds
- Humphreys
- Itawamba
- Kemper
- Lafayette
- Lawrence
- Lee
- Lowndes
- Marshall
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Newton
- Noxubee
- Oktibbeha
- Panola
- Pike
- Pontotoc
- Simpson
- Sunflower
- Tallahatchie
- Tate
- Tishomingo
- Union
- Webster
- Winston
- Yalobusha
