During a special meeting Wednesday, the Jones County Board of Supervisors called for an open burning ban effective until July 8. The request was made to the Mississippi Forestry Commission after many days of high heat, low humidity and no rain.

Dan McKenna, Jones County fire coordinator, said the dryness allows for potentially devastating fires in the area. Wednesday alone, Jones County volunteer departments responded to several brush fires, including one that covered more than 20 acres.

“We waited as long as we could to put the burn ban in place,” he said. “Unfortunately, the dry conditions and lack of rainfall is making for some erratic and rapid fire spreads.”

McKenna urged extra caution over the July 4th holiday weekend with barbecue grills and fireworks. “Make sure you keep your grills in containers, and stay away from using any type of wood in stone grills,” he said. “You should also have a good perimeter around your grill. In this brush fire, the flames jumped a 30-foot road we were using as a barrier of defense.”

McKenna also said those using fireworks should wet the area down first, and think twice before shooting them in these dry conditions. “If at all possible, please hold off on shooting fireworks for a few days,” he said. “Bottle rockets have enough of a spark to get a fire going on the ground, as do Roman candles and firecrackers.”

McKenna urged residents to “call when it’s small” if a fire starts on their property. “We’d rather fight a small brush fire than end up being out there for several hours like we were (Wednesday),” he said.

On its Web site, the Mississippi Forestry Commission listed six counties with current burn bans including Adams, Forrest, Jones, Lamar, Marion and Walthall. As a precaution, the Commission asks home and property owners to keep a water hose ready for use, keep leaves and debris at least 30 feet away from the home and other structures, store firewood away from the home, keep the roof clear of leaves and pine straw, and post fire emergency numbers on or near the phone.

For more information on the burn ban, visit www.mfc.state.ms.us.