JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Most of Mississippi remains under a burn ban due to drought conditions.

Officials with the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) said crews have responded to more than 1,400 wildfires since August 2023. Six hundred of those fires were in October 2023.

More than 20,000 acres have burned across the state. On Monday, November 6, Jackson firefighters put out three small grass fires along Byram Road.

Officials said the dry vegetation had resulted in larger and more intense fires.

“What we’re seeing on the ground right now with these wildfires is when it does get established, say a spark gets thrown into dry grass, it will take that spark a minute to develop into a flame. Well, with low humidity and wind, what we’re seeing is the spread is extremely fast. So once that wind hits it in as dry as the vegetation is, it’s I mean, it’s almost like when it hits gasoline. It’s just off to the races,” said State Forester Russell Bozeman.

Under the state burn ban, Mississippians can be fined up to $1,000 for any outside burning.