BROOKHAVEN — Recent rains have not fully alleviated the dry, windy and low humidity which makes fire dangerous. Lincoln County and 41 other counties in Mississippi are under burn bans and the fire danger is not going away.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Lincoln County and surrounding areas Wednesday. A red flag warning is in conjunction with the burn bans issued by the Mississippi Forestry Commission urging people to not burn at all.

Open burning is discouraged as weather conditions are ideal for wildfire to spread rapidly. NWS Jackson warns of a significant threat of wildfire today and an elevated threat of wildfire Thursday.

Lincoln County has been fairly fortunate thus far. A 26 acre fire burned near West Lincoln Attendance Center on August 17 and a fire consumed an old home in East Lincoln that weekend.

Please remember to heed local burn bans, dispose of cigarettes properly and do not let trailer chains drag along the roadways. Friction form the chain and road could cause a spark setting the county ablaze.

Nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by humans. Smokey Bear always says, “Only you can prevent wildfires.”