JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Twenty Mississippi counties have been placed under burn bans as of Wednesday, August 16.

There have been almost 180 wildfires since the beginning of August 2023, according to the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC).

Forestry officials urged everyone to be aware of the current dry conditions, because conditions could get worse. MFC officials said the public should pay attention to burn bans in their area.

“A burn ban is a kind of a county proclamation that goes on that prohibits and limits the amount of fire that can go into the landscape in that county,” explained Russell Bozeman, State Forester for MFC.

Hinds County currently is not under a burn ban, but the cities of Byram and Clinton have instituted their own burn bans.

“The fires that are getting started are by simple ignition sources, such as somebody throwing a cigarette out of a window, going down the highway, chains dragging along the highway. Any kind of spark or ember from a vehicle or a person is starting to create these fires,” Bozeman said.

Counties that are not under a burn ban are being warned to be extremely cautions with ignition sources. 

“And if we get into a situation in which it gets aggressively worse, then there’s certainly the potential for the Forestry Commission, State Forester to come to me, and I have the authority to issue a statewide ban. We’re not there yet, but if that becomes necessary, we will certainly listen to our State Forestry Commission,” said Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Miss.).

If someone starts a fire or uses an outdoor open flame during a burn ban, they could face a fine of up to $500.

On Wednesday, MFC mobilized an Incident Management Team (IMT) to coordinate operations due to the current hot, dry, and windy weather conditions. A team of approximately 24 IMT personnel from various parts of the state set up operations in Wiggins, MS, last week. The IMT is working with local, state, and federal partners and pooling resources to effectively manage areas with the highest risk for wildfires. The IMT will remain deployed as long as they are needed.