Firefighters from across the country are being called in to help Mississippi deal with a growing number of wildfires.Drought conditions continue to provide fuel for the fires. There are currently 45 counties under a burn ban in Mississippi. Since Aug. 1, MFC has responded to more than 760 fires that have burned over 14,163 acres. The Mississippi Forestry Commission’s wildfire response resources have been taxed by the continuous drought conditions, leading the agency to ask for personnel and equipment from the South Central and Southeastern Wildland Fire Compacts, which includes all the southern states. “It is an extreme and exceptional drought situation that we are in,” said State Forester Russell Bozeman. “Something that we have not seen in quite some time. So, we have had to bring in some outside firefighting resources to help us out.”Crews from Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee are expected in the coming days, along with help from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. National Park Service. “Unless we get some significant rainfall here soon, it will get mighty dusty here in the fall,” said Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson. Nine out of 10 of the state’s fires statistically, are human-caused, and most everything in the southern parts of the state are conditions for a tinderbox, MFC officials said. “For those south of Interstate 20, the fire behavior we are seeing is so explosive, we are telling people to be careful with any ignition source. Thumping cigarettes out of the window, dragging a chain down the road,” Bozeman said.The out-of-state resources are strategically stationed across Mississippi so they can quickly respond to the fires that are still popping up everywhere south of I-20.
Firefighters from across the country are being called in to help Mississippi deal with a growing number of wildfires.
Drought conditions continue to provide fuel for the fires. There are currently 45 counties under a burn ban in Mississippi. Since Aug. 1, MFC has responded to more than 760 fires that have burned over 14,163 acres.
The Mississippi Forestry Commission’s wildfire response resources have been taxed by the continuous drought conditions, leading the agency to ask for personnel and equipment from the South Central and Southeastern Wildland Fire Compacts, which includes all the southern states.
“It is an extreme and exceptional drought situation that we are in,” said State Forester Russell Bozeman. “Something that we have not seen in quite some time. So, we have had to bring in some outside firefighting resources to help us out.”
Crews from Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee are expected in the coming days, along with help from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. National Park Service.
“Unless we get some significant rainfall here soon, it will get mighty dusty here in the fall,” said Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson.
Nine out of 10 of the state’s fires statistically, are human-caused, and most everything in the southern parts of the state are conditions for a tinderbox, MFC officials said.
“For those south of Interstate 20, the fire behavior we are seeing is so explosive, we are telling people to be careful with any ignition source. Thumping cigarettes out of the window, dragging a chain down the road,” Bozeman said.
The out-of-state resources are strategically stationed across Mississippi so they can quickly respond to the fires that are still popping up everywhere south of I-20.
