About 125 acres of forestry burned in Ovett Monday in what was the largest of a string of brush fires Jones County firefighters have battled in recent days.
Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna said volunteer fire departments have battled brush fires from Sandersville to Ovett. Some have been small, while others have been quite large.
“Since Friday, I would say we have had something like 20 to 25 brush fires,” said McKenna. “Most of them have been caused by people cleaning of their property and burning leaves and other debris.”
That was not the case for the mammoth Ovett fire, which broke out in three spots on Monarch Road.
“From marks in the road looks like someone had a flat tire,” said McKenna. “Instead of stopping to fix the tire, they drove on, causing sparks which apparently ignited the fire.
“They drove down the road about two and a half miles without stopping, which to me is negligence on their part,” added McKenna.
McKenna noted that the brush fire burned portion of a tree plantation and the owner lost several 7-or 8-year-old trees. McKenna said Jones County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Forestry Commission are investigating who caused the blaze.
For people who think the sunshiny weather makes this a perfect time to burn leaves and other debris, McKenna said “you’re wrong.” He also noted that although the area has had quite a bit of rain in recent months, the dry conditions in the past few days, mixed with the winds, has caused the top layer of the foliage to dry out.
“It may look like it’s not harmful for people to burn trash, but that wind can bring life to a fire pretty fast,” said McKenna. “They can burn down a house or shop at their home if they are not careful.”
Lance Chancellor, public information officer for the Jones County Fire Council, offered the following tips:
• If you are doing control burns on your property, make sure you alert Jones County dispatchers. “We’ve had several callers reporting brush fires that were actually controlled burns,” said Chancellor.
• Have a fire hose handy or a five gallon bucket of water nearby in case the fire gets out of hand.
• Have a cell phone or cordless phone handy to call 911 if necessary.
• Dial 911 for help if the fire gets out of hand. “There is no need for people to get injured or try to fight a fire that’s gotten away from them,” said Chancellor. “That’s what the volunteer fire department is here for.
“We’re trained to put out fires and we will do our best to extinguish the fire.”
Local News
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Photo/ Charlotte A. Graham
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