The Tippah County burn ban remains in effect heading into the weekend, and fire officials’ worries are not easing as a strong cold front sweeps across north Mississippi on Friday, Oct. 16. The Mississippi Forestry Commission’s county burn ban map, updated Thursday, Oct. 15, still shows Tippah County in red, while the National Weather Service in Memphis warns that gusty winds, falling humidity and very dry fuels will raise wildfire danger across the Mid-South on Friday.
Tippah County Burn Ban Still on the Map
The Forestry Commission’s latest map lists Tippah among about 30 Mississippi counties under a burn ban. Nearby counties shown in red include Lafayette, Tate, Lee and Itawamba. Benton County, which appeared on earlier maps this month, is no longer shaded red on the Oct. 15 update. Benton residents should still check with county officials or the commission before burning, because conditions remain very dry across the region.
Under Mississippi law, county boards of supervisors normally request burn bans and the Forestry Commission approves them. Each ban expires at midnight on its stated end date, and the local sheriff’s department enforces it. Anyone who knowingly and willfully violates a burn ban is guilty of a misdemeanor and can be fined between $100 and $500, according to the commission.
What Is and Isn’t Allowed
The Forestry Commission says a burn ban means no outdoor burning of any kind. Anything with an open flame that produces an ember is off-limits, because the wind can carry embers up to half a mile and start new fires. That includes:
Campfires and bonfires
Fire pits and fire rings
Burn barrels
Debris and field burning
Propane and gas grills, propane and gas heaters, and charcoal grills are still allowed if they are used as the manufacturer directs, kept away from anything that can burn and never left unattended. The commission urges people to let charcoal cool completely, douse it with water and dispose of it in a metal container. A burn ban may list specific exemptions, such as certified burn managers or county fire services, and those are posted at mfc.ms.gov.
Cold Front Brings Wind, Dry Air and a Chilly Weekend
In its Friday morning forecast discussion, NWS Memphis said the front would drop temperatures 15 to 30 degrees from Thursday, which forecasters called another record-breakingly warm day across the Mid-South. Northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph, were expected through sunset. Relative humidity was forecast to fall below 40 percent Friday afternoon.
The highest fire danger was expected along and west of a line from Dyersburg, Tennessee, to Oxford, but forecasters asked everyone in the region to avoid recreational burning and to put out and dispose of cigarettes properly, warning that wildfires “can start easily and spread quickly.” Little or no rain is expected with the front, and the weather service says no meaningful rainfall is in sight for the next seven days.
The NWS forecast for the Ripley area calls for:
Friday: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of a shower around midday. High near 71, falling to around 64 in the afternoon. North-northwest winds 10 to 20 mph, gusting to 30 mph.
Friday night: Partly cloudy and breezy, low around 46.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and cooler, high near 65, north winds 15 to 20 mph.
Saturday night: Clear and chilly, low around 39.
Sunday: Sunny, high near 70, low around 41.
Monday: Sunny, high near 72.
Forecasters said Sunday morning should be the coldest of the next week, with patchy frost possible mainly in northwest Tennessee. Temperatures are expected to climb back above normal by Tuesday, with highs well into the 80s by Wednesday as the dry pattern holds.
Tips for a Dry, Windy Weekend
Do not burn leaves, trash or brush while the ban is in place.
Keep vehicles off tall, dry grass; hot exhaust parts can spark a fire.
Secure trailer safety chains so they do not drag and throw sparks.
Report any smoke or fire right away by calling 911.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
