Wildfires burn at least 58 acres in Copiah County

Several wildfires burned at least 58 acres in Copiah County over the weekend, with strong wind gusts contributing to unpredictable fire behavior, according to the Mississippi Forestry Commission.

Meacham Harlow, an outreach officer with the commission’s Region 3, said five wildfires were reported Saturday, Oct. 10. A sixth fire was reported Sunday, Oct. 11, after a blaze from the previous day reignited.

The causes of Saturday’s fires included downed power lines, strong wind gusts, an ATV rollover and debris burning. Harlow said four or five of the fires were attributed to power lines.

The largest fire burned 55 acres of grass along Browns Wells Road. No structures were destroyed, although some were threatened by the flames.

On Sunday, crews responded to a three-acre fire along Gallman Road. The blaze was a reignition of a fire reported the previous day, according to the commission. No structures were threatened.

Strong wind gusts made the fires more difficult to predict and contributed to changing fire behavior, officials said. Trees were also reported down in the area following the fires and windy conditions.

Officials have not confirmed whether weather conditions contributed to all of the reported fires.