Mississippi
Covington County becomes 17th Mississippi county to enact burn ban
COLLINS, Miss. (WDAM) – Covington County has joined a growing list of Mississippi counties that have enacted burn bans.
Friday, Covington County became the 17th in the state to prohibit burning anything outdoors for the time being.
Covington County Fire Coordinator John Pope said the ban was needed to protect lives and property.
“We’re dealing with extremely dry conditions,” Pope said. “We have not had any rain in any significant amount in a few months.
“The (Mississippi) Forestry Commission uses the Keetch-Byram Drought Index to be able to determine the moisture content in the ground, and right now, Mississippi, or a big part of it, is anywhere from the 600 to 700 point, which means it would take six to seven inches or more rainfall, just to bring the moisture and soil content back to a normal range.”
Covington County’s burn ban will be in effect until Nov. 25.
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