Highway 30 Fires Burn Near Paden in Tishomingo County

Firefighters spent Wednesday evening battling multiple Highway 30 fires in southwestern Tishomingo County, where spot fires broke out along the busy roadway between Paden and the Prentiss County line. Drivers in the area are being urged to slow down and watch for heavy smoke.

Tishomingo County Fire Coordinator Shelly Davis told WTVA that crews from four Tishomingo County fire departments were on the scene, joined by firefighters from Prentiss County and the Mississippi Forestry Commission. According to Davis, the fires were not threatening nearby homes at the time of the report.

What We Know About the Highway 30 Fires

• Location: Along Mississippi Highway 30, from Paden west to the Tishomingo-Prentiss county line.
• Responders: Four Tishomingo County fire departments, firefighters from Prentiss County, and the Mississippi Forestry Commission.
• Homes: Not threatened at the time of the report, according to the county fire coordinator.
• Cause: Officials have not released a cause.
• Burn ban: Tishomingo County was not under a burn ban as of Wednesday evening.

Residents along the corridor took to social media Wednesday night to share videos of flames and smoke along the highway and to ask others to avoid the area while crews work.

Drivers Urged to Use Caution

Smoke from roadside fires can drop visibility quickly, especially after dark. If you must travel Highway 30 between Paden and the Prentiss County line tonight:

• Slow down and turn on your headlights in smoky stretches.
• Watch for fire trucks, forestry equipment, and firefighters working near the shoulder.
• Do not stop on the roadway to take photos or video.
• Use another route if you can.

Dry Conditions Raise Fire Risk Across the Area

The fires come during a stretch of drought across northeast Mississippi. The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Oct. 1 placed all of Tishomingo County in moderate drought (D1), with about 46 percent of the county in severe drought (D2). That share jumped from zero just a week earlier. Prentiss County was also entirely in moderate drought, with about 24 percent in severe drought.

Neighboring Alcorn County remains under an emergency burn ban through Oct. 12. Tishomingo and Prentiss counties had not been added to the state burn ban list as of Wednesday, but the Forestry Commission urges everyone to hold off on outdoor burning, never leave a fire unattended, and be careful with anything that can throw sparks into dry grass, including dragging trailer chains and hot vehicle exhaust parked over tall weeds.

Relief may be on the way. As we reported earlier today, forecasters expect the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaias to bring soaking rain to northeast Mississippi this weekend. Until then, fire danger stays elevated. For more on the dry conditions, see our fire danger outlook.

Developing Story

This is a developing story. Alcorn News MS will update it as officials release more information about the Highway 30 fires, including the cause and how much land burned. If you see smoke or flames near a home or structure, call 911.

Source: WTVA