Dry conditions continue in Jones county, burn ban still in effect

JONES COUNTY, Miss. - Even with the threat of severe storms this week, dry conditions in Jones county continue to threaten the community.

Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna said this week's storm may not be enough rain to lift the current burn ban.

“Obviously any amount of precipitation we will receive will get that burn ban off, and I know a lot of people that are getting pretty anxious to be able to do that" McKenna said.

During Monday night's storm watch, Jones county recorded only 1.5 inches of rain and the overall dry conditions is still seen as a threat.

“With that in mind, its really not enough to remove the burn ban at this time" McKenna added. It's not really how much rain Mississippi is receiving, but the severe winds South Mississippi has experienced.

McKenna said, “The wind is significant and really adding to the problems when we do have an incident." He continued, "...We were prepared to provide structure protection, but the wind is really a significant event that contributed to the massiveness of that (Perry/Jones county line) fire.”

Officials said on top of fines and possible jail time, those that do not respect the burn ban can also face charges on damaging other property.