JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
As temperatures continue to rise, cities and counties are issuing burn bans.
The city of Brandon, along with Adams, Marion, and Pike counties have issued a burn ban.
The dry conditions have Madison County Emergency Management Director Butch Hammack watching the number of grass fire calls before he considers a burn ban.
"If the frequency picks up and the bigger the fire, obviously more man power is required. That's where it usually comes in," explains Hammack.
The weekend before the July 4th holiday also presents another concern. Hammack says it only takes a small spark, even from a firecracker, to start a fire.
"As dry as it is, not a lot of moisture in the ground...it doesn't take much. You can pull a car off the side of the road and the heat from the exhaust will start a fire."
Meanwhile, the city of Jackson is encouraging residents to call 311 if they know of an elderly or disabled resident living without air conditioning. Once the call has been placed, a Jackson firefighter will go by to check on the person living in the hot house.
"These Mississippi heat waves can be tough, especially on our elderly citizens, and we just want to make sure that we're looking after them. We're gonna dispatch these firefighters out to make sure they are taken care of, and if they have some needs that need to be met, we're going to try to do that," says city of Jackson Communications Director Chris Mims.
311 calls can be made Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Jackson has seven community centers open to help people without air conditioning:
- Johnnie Champion Center, 1355 Hattiesburg Street
- Tougaloo Community Center, 318 Vine Street
- Golden Key Community Center, 3450 Albermarle Road
- Northside Community Center, 104 East Northside Drive
- Smith Robertson Community Center, 505 John Hart Street
- Sykes Community Center, 520 Sykes Road
- T.L. Love Community Center, 2912 Holmes Avenue
The community centers are open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Northside and Smith Robertson Community Center will open this Saturday (June 30) from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
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