BROOKHAVEN — The smokey haze in Brookhaven is a result of the fire at Rex Pellet Mill continuing to burn Thursday morning. A shift in the wind from south to north may allow new areas of town to be able to smell the smoke.

The fire at the pellet mill has started to slow down, Brookhaven Fire Chief Jeff Ainsworth said. The fire remains contained but there is no way to put it out.

Embers from Stahl-Urban were carried nearly half a mile by strong winds Monday night to start the fire at the pellet mill where firefighters and the Mississippi Forestry Commission worked to keep it contained. Mississippi’s State Fire Marshall is set to visit Brookhaven Thursday to investigate the Stahl-Urban fire.

Fire conditions continue

National Weather Service in Jackson warns that Lincoln County and other southwest Mississippi counties remain in wildfire danger. Relative humidity is supposed to be around 25 throughout the day which is far t0o low to safely burn.

Breezy winds are around 10 mph today out of the north and fuel is dry. Fires are more likely to escape and get out of control quickly with wind gusts around 20 mph. Open burning is discouraged by the National Weather Service today. Mississippi Forestry Commission reminds the public that nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by human error and are otherwise preventable.

Rain is in the forecast and the relative humidity will be greater than 60 tomorrow. Rainfall could start tonight with chances of showers at 80 percent. Friday is forecast to be chilly and wet with a high of 62 degrees and a 70 percent chance of rain. There is a chance of rain each day from Monday to Wednesday.