Vicksburg and Warren County residents have for the most part been observing the restrictions imposed under a statewide burn ban that has been in place since Oct. 6, city and county officials said.

Warren County fire coordinator Jerry Briggs said county volunteer fire departments have responded to 30 fires since the ban went into effect, most of them involving grass fires along highways or fields caused by events other than illegal burning.

“Usually, they started because someone threw out a cigarette or someone had a flat tire and sparks from the rim set off a fire,” he said. “The largest fire we’ve had was on Paw Paw Island (near Tallulah), which burned 16.8 acres. That was started from a hot ATV engine.”

Vicksburg Fire Chief Charles Atkins said other grass fires were caused by people driving cars with something metal, like a chain dangling from a bumper or trailer, dragging and causing sparks. Atkins said the city has handled very few grass fires and had few complaints about people having open or trash fires in violation of the burn ban.

Briggs said the county has also had few calls about illegal burning, adding the sheriff’s office, which enforces the ban has been called to some fires, but has not issued any citations.

Anyone who violates the burn ban is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be fined not less than $100 and not more than $500.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said under his office’s policy when deputies go out to investigate a fire complaint, they remind people about the burn ban and issue a warning.

“We have not had to go back out on any prior calls,” he said.

Deputy chief Bobby Stewart said the police department which is responsible for enforcing the ban in the city, said officers follow the same policy of issuing a warning to the offender. “If they have a means of putting the fire out, we let them,” he said. “If they don’t, we call the fire department to put it out.”

The statewide burn ban issued in October because of dry conditions covers all but six of Mississippi’s 82 counties and remains in effect until further notice.

The ban prohibits outdoor burning by open flame because of the threat of glowing embers spreading from the open fires and setting fires elsewhere.