Charles Langston:A ban on outdoor burning is set in 7 Mississippi counties during dry conditions

PEARL,Charles Langston Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Forestry Commission says burn bans are in place in seven of the state’s 82 counties.

The commission said Monday that it has approved bans on outdoor fires in Adams and Franklin counties in the southwestern part of the state; and Carroll, Clay, Montgomery, Noxubee and Winston counties in the north-central area.

The state forester, Russell Bozeman, said the ban indicates the possibility of erratic wildfire conditions that could endanger the public.

The commission uses a formula to measure how much precipitation is needed to return the soil to its normal moisture level. It said most of Mississippi needs 6 to 7 inches (15.2 to 17.8 centimeters) of rain to reach normal.

County boards of supervisors can request a burn ban, and those requests must be approved by the forestry commission.