Alcorn County Burn Ban Set to Expire Tonight Amid Drought

The Alcorn County burn ban is scheduled to expire at midnight tonight, Monday, Oct. 12, even as the county remains in severe drought and the forecast calls for another week of sunshine and near-record heat. As of midday Monday, the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s statewide burn ban list still showed Alcorn’s ban ending Oct. 12, and no extension had been posted.

The ban was issued Sept. 28 at the request of county officials and approved by the Forestry Commission. Under state rules, every burn ban ends at midnight on its listed expiration date unless the county asks for an extension and the commission approves it.

What the Alcorn County Burn Ban Covers

Until it expires, a burn ban means no outdoor burning of any kind. According to the Mississippi Forestry Commission, that includes:

• Campfires, bonfires, fire pits and fire rings
• Burn barrels and debris burning
• Field burning

Propane and gas grills, gas heaters and charcoal grills are still allowed if they are used as the manufacturer intends and kept away from anything that can burn. The commission says charcoal should be allowed to cool completely and be soaked with water before it goes into a metal container.

The Alcorn ban lists several exemptions. They cover groups such as Forestry Commission-certified burn managers and county fire services. The sheriff’s department enforces burn bans. Anyone who knowingly breaks one can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $100 to $500 under state law.

Drought and Heat Keep Fire Danger in Play

The weekend remnants of Isaias brought far less rain than hoped to Corinth, and dry weather has returned. The National Weather Service in Memphis forecasts sunny skies in Corinth through Thursday, with highs near 89 today and 91 to 92 Tuesday through Thursday. No rain is in the forecast.

The weather service’s fire weather forecast for Alcorn, Prentiss, Tishomingo and the rest of northeast Mississippi calls for afternoon humidity to drop to around 30 percent today and Tuesday. Forecasters said light winds should keep fire danger from climbing higher, but they expect “an overall dry pattern” to continue across the Mid-South.

Even if the ban ends tonight, fire officials urge anyone planning to burn to use extra caution in these conditions:

• Burn only on calm days and never leave a fire unattended.
• Keep a water hose, rakes and shovels close by.
• Clear dry grass and leaves away from the burn area.
• Make sure the fire is completely out, cold to the touch, before you leave it.

Bans Remain in Nearby Counties

Eighteen Mississippi counties were on the Forestry Commission’s burn ban list Monday. Neighboring Tippah County’s ban runs through Oct. 18, and Itawamba County’s runs through Oct. 21. Prentiss and Tishomingo counties were not on the list Monday.

Alcorn County officials could still request an extension. Residents can check the Forestry Commission’s burn ban page for the latest status before burning, or call the Alcorn County Fire Service. Alcorn News MS will update this story if the ban is extended.

For more on local dry conditions, see our earlier reports: Severe Drought Covers Tishomingo, Alcorn as Isaias Rain Arrives and Isaias Rain Falls Short in Corinth as Record Heat Returns.

Source: Mississippi Forestry Commission; National Weather Service Memphis