CARROLLTON - While Carroll County supervisors were still waiting for a "no burn" order to come back to them through proper channels from the state forester this morning, County Forester Jim Strong says a resolution supervisors signed Tuesday banning all outdoor burning is in effect.
Harold Scruggs, the county's fire and emergency services coordinator, recommended supervisors adopt the resolution. The ban will last until Sept. 20.
Scruggs said the action was prompted in part by three separate fires that consumed approximately 483 acres in southern and western Carroll County Sunday and Monday afternoon and evening.
"It's so dry folks have to be aware it takes only one little spark to get a fire going," Scruggs said. "Absolutely, they should not burn any trash or brush piles."
When "no burn" orders are issued, lawbreakers commit misdemeanors. Fines of not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be levied.
In drought conditions such as those existing in Carroll County and in other parts of the state today, dangerous fires may also be started through incidental sparks from machinery or carelessness with cigarettes, Scruggs said.
Strong said it is difficult to estimate the monetary damage caused by the fires Sunday. Two of the fires engaged pine plantations, and it will take some time before some of the damage shows up in the younger pines especially, Strong said.
The county's volunteer fire departments as well as manpower from the Forestry Commission turned out to fight the fires. The first was spotted by the commission's pilot about 3 p.m. Sunday.
This fire started near where some young men were disking land across Pelucia Creek from the old J. J. Ferguson Valley Hill gravel plant, Strong said. This burned about 450 acres of mostly scrub land.
Another fire in western Carroll County, which threatened Centerville Baptist Church, consumed about 30 acres of pine owned by Rowell Saunders of Greenwood.
The third fire consumed about three acres along Mississippi430 at Blackmonton on pine land owned by Adrian Whittington of Jackson.
After the North Carrollton Fire Department volunteers left the Centerville fire about 9:30 p.m., they were called to a small, unrelated fire at the chip mill on U.S. 82 east of Carrollton. Apparently, workers had been doing some welding, and sparks landed in a trash pile which eventually blazed up, Scruggs said.
About 11 p.m., volunteers were called back to the Centerville fire.
Strong said one of the Sunday fires broke out again about 5 p.m. Monday. The fired threatened some homes on Centerville Road, including one owned by Steve McDaniel.
