As Mississippi continues to face dry weather, a statewide burn ban has been issued at all state parks and fishing lakes until further notice.
Announced by the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) on Thursday, the burn ban prohibits all open fires such as campfires, bonfires, fire pits, fire rings, burn barrels, debris burning, and field burning.
MDWFP officials said the objective of the burn ban is “to mitigate the risk of floating embers that could spark spot fires, endangering both park premises and surrounding areas.” Any violations will be punishable by fines up to $500.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the last measurable rain in some parts of the state goes back almost 30 days.
“We haven’t gotten very much rain lately. Our last measurable rain in Jackson at least was almost a month ago,” Daniel Lamb of NWS Jackson said. “There was one day when north Mississippi got quite a bit of rain and there have been some areas closer to Tennessee that have been getting quite a bit of rain over the last couple of weeks, but as you get further south to the Jackson area and down to Hattiesburg and Natchez, it’s been just very dry.”
In the meantime, state park and fishing lake visitors can still use propane or gas grills, propane or gas heaters, and charcoal grills.
