STARKVILLE — The Starkville Fire Department this week issued a burn ban throughout the city until further notice.
The ban, however, has nothing to do with the recent rash of fires, SFD Chief Rodger Mann said Wednesday.
“It”s because of the dry conditions,” Mann said. “We”ve been talking about it for a while now and just felt like the moisture content was low enough that we needed to do it.”
City firefighters recently extinguished a small grass fire, Mann said.
The city will issue no burn permits while the ban is in place. When fire officials determine conditions are moist enough, the city will lift the ban and issue burn permits again, Mann said.
Rain is in the forecast for the Golden Triangle this weekend.
The Mississippi Forestry Commission has the authority to issue burn bans in Oktibbeha County, Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan said. So far, the Forestry Commission has not issued a ban, he said.
Attempts to contact the Forestry Commission Wednesday were unsuccessful.
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