Dry, windy weekend increases fire danger

• See specific list of what is banned at end of story.

Lamar County Supervisor Phillip Carlisle said the county is in a parched state of affairs right now — and he's asking residents to abide by the county's burn ban, which has been in effect since Nov. 1.

"I've never seen it this serious," he said. "Until we can get some rain and we get these dry conditions in hand, we've got to abide by the ban. All it takes is a little wind to send an ember somewhere or someone throwing a cigarette out the window. One cigarette can set the whole woods on fire."

County officials certainly don't want a scene similar to what is happening in other areas of the South, where large, wind-driven fires have spread from northern Georgia and eastern Tennessee into eastern Kentucky, the western Carolinas and parts of surrounding states.

More than 5,000 firefighters from around the nation, along with support personnel and 24 helicopters, are deployed in the fire zone. One man died Wednesday on eastern Kentucky's Mountain Parkway, where smoke decreased visibility. State police said about 14 others were injured in various wrecks on both sides of the road.

More than 30 large fires remain uncontained. Overall, 128,000 acres have burned — about nine times the size of Manhattan.

The weekend forecast for Forrest and Lamar counties includes lots of wind and little rain. Alan Campbell, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said a cold front will be pushing through the region, with daytime temperatures in the 60s and nighttime temperatures going as low as 30 degrees.

"The rain chances aren't exactly huge," he said. "We're really only looking at a 30 percent chance of rain, but since we've had no chance of rain for so long, we'll take what we can get."

But Campbell said even if some rain does fall, it won't alleviate the fire risk.

"The rainfall won't put much of a dent in the drought conditions," he said. "I can say with some confidence — don't expect any of those (burn bans) to be lifted even through next week."

The Mississippi Forestry Commission said more than 75 counties in the state are under a burn ban. A ban in Forrest County expired Thursday, but fire coordinator Chip Brown still asked residents to be careful.

"We urge everyone not to burn anything outdoors," he said. "It's still very dry. We'll see how it goes, and we may have to re-implement (the ban) if we start to have fires."

In counties that are under a ban, no outdoor fires of any type are allowed. Propane and gas grills and heaters and charcoal grills are OK but should be used according to manufacturer's instructions and kept away from combustible materials.

State forestry officials were especially concerned about the risk of fire with deer hunting season beginning today. They said people will be out in the woods in large numbers, looking for ways to stay warm.

"Don't do any outdoor burning right now — wait until the bans are lifted and drought conditions improve," Assistant State Forester Russell Bozeman said in a news release. "A small spark can become a large wildfire when conditions are dry and windy, as they will be this weekend.

"One less spark could mean one less wildfire. No campfire is worth putting people's lives at risk."

George Stevens, Lamar County fire coordinator, said his office is getting lots of calls from residents reporting other people starting outdoor fires.

"We have had more than 40 complaints about people burning," he said. "We've had a lot of violators. If you have a lot of people burning and then you have wind, we could have more fires burning than we can respond to."

Stevens said the county is as dry as he has ever seen it.

"We're going through a drought cycle," he said. "We've had very little rain. The moisture in the soil is low, and the vegetation is dry. The winds are high, and it's dangerous."

Stevens encouraged residents to keep reporting outdoor burning.

"Don't burn outside. If you see a fire, call 911 and report it," he said. "Treat it as a life-threatening situation. It has the potential to kill people."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Burn bans

Not allowed: Campfires, bonfires, fire pits, fire rings, burn barrels, debris burning, fireworks, field burning, cigarette ash, outdoor wood-burning heaters or fireplaces, anything that produces an ember.

Allowed: Propane/gas grills and heaters, charcoal grills.

Fines/Violations: Violation of a burn ban is a misdemeanor and may result in a fine of $100 to $500. Anyone who sets a fire is responsible for that fire and its smoke and is liable for damages caused by such.