Supervisors call for burn ban

County supervisors called for an end to outdoor burning last week following a frequent by the volunteer fire departments that serve the five supervisor districts in the county.
Board of supervisors president Doug Popwell said the board issued the halt to open flame burning outdoors after county fire department coordinator Jimmy Boyd said the likelihood of dry conditions contributing to wildfire and the lack of fire personnel to help fight grass and forest fires puts firefighters at a disadvantage.
The ban on outdoor burning is a safety precaution to help cut down on the likelihood of wildfires destroying pasture, woods and the possibility of it spreading to structures and outbuildings.
While many believe the threat of wildfire lessens during the fall season as compared to the heat of the summer, that is not the case.
Wildfire can occur at any season of the year. The possibility of grass and woods fires is measured by the Mississippi Forestry Commission using the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), a tool that measures how much precipitation, in inches, is needed to return soil to its normal moisture level.
For most of the state the scale registers between 600-700 indicating at least 6-7 inches of rain are necessary to restore normal soil moisture, year round, regardless of season.