A burn ban is in effect in Tallahatchie County from Oct. 15 through midnight on Oct. 31, Tallahatchie County Fire Coordinator Linnie Maples told The Sun-Sentinel this morning.
During a burn ban, anything with an open flame that produces an ember is not allowed to be burned outdoors.
The only exceptions to the ban, as cited in the county's burn ban application, are for the following:
» Mississippi Forestry Commission
» Certified burn managers
» Commercial contractors with heavy construction equipment, providing that said burn meets the state's Department of Environmental Quality regulations. (MDEQ regulations regarding open burning of brush piles require a separation distance of 1,500 feet from a residence without forced air assistance and 500 feet with forced air assistance.)
» Agriculture field burns
As of this morning, according to a Mississippi Forestry Commission burn ban map, 34 counties in Mississippi have burn bans in place.
The local sheriff’s department enforces burn bans. Anyone who knowingly and willfully violates a ban on outdoor burning is guilty of a misdemeanor. These persons may receive a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500.
