Fire Coordinators from Covington, Forrest, Jeff Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion and Wayne counties are warning local residents in each county about the dangers of outdoor burning. Over the past week,
volunteer fire departments in these seven Pine Belt counties have responded to dozens of out of control grass, brush and woods fires with several of the fires threatening structures. “Our volunteer
fire departments have been very busy responding to grass, brush and woods fires with some fairly large acreage fires reported in the Pine Belt,” notes Lamar County Fire Coordinator George Stevens.
Adds Wayne County Fire Coordinator Doug Hutto, “The past several weeks have been extremely cold with numerous heavy frosts which has dried out the already dead vegetation. Combine the dry
vegetation with moderate to strong winds and you have perfect conditions for rapid fire spread.”
Forrest County Fire Coordinator Chip Brown notes, “We are urging the public to be very careful if conducting any outdoor burning activities and refrain from outdoor burning if possible until
we have had some rainfall in the area. When a volunteer fire department is out on a preventable wildland fire, they are unavailable to respond to potentially more serious calls such as vehicle
accidents and structure fires.” Should a controlled fire get out of control, residents are urged to call 911 to report the fire and take steps to protect life and property. Keep a water hose or
appropriate fire suppression equipment handy and be sure not to conduct outdoor burning activities when windy conditions are present. “We’ve been very fortunate that no one has been injured
in some of these fast moving fires,” notes Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna. He adds, “It just takes a moment for a small fire to get out of control and become a monster fire. We just
want local residents to pay close attention to this fire warning and take steps to prevent damage to their homes and property and that of their neighbors – it’s a serious situation right now.”
Dan McKenna is worried about one spark. One spark from anywhere, a grill, an outdoor pit, a bonfire, even the heat from a cars exhaust system. McKenna thinks that one spark could put the Pine Belt in the national news with stories that could rival the raging out of control wild fires we see out West.
