2025 Mississippi wildfires


The 2025 Mississippi wildfires were a series of wildfires that burned in the U.S. state of Mississippi.

Background

Historically, Mississippi experiences two distinct wildfire periods, consistent with patterns observed across much of the Southeastern United States. The spring fire season, typically during March—just before vegetation “green-up”—is driven by dry conditions, gusty winds, and low humidity that foster rapid fire spread. The fall fire season often occurs in October and November, when foliage drops and leaf litter accumulates on the ground, creating highly flammable conditions. Most wildfires in these seasons are human-caused, often from debris burning or equipment use, rather than lightning strikes.
The Mississippi Forestry Commission—tasked with wildfire detection, suppression, and prevention—continues issuing burn bans, promoting public awareness, and enforcing control measures statewide.
The two primary wildfire seasons in Mississippi: January–March and July–November.
The Mississippi Wildfire Threat Profile indicates that peak wildfire danger occurs in February and March, when hot, dry, and windy weather substantially elevates ignition potential. During these periods, the U.S. National Weather Service often issues Red Flag Warnings, and the Mississippi Forestry Commission may implement temporary burn bans.

Summary

By mid-2025, Mississippi has seen an uptick in small wildfires. In Stone County, for example, drought conditions contributed to 85 reported fires in August, burning about 830 acres statewide for that month. Through early September, the state recorded 84 additional fires covering just over 1,000 acres.
Smoke from the cumulative smaller fires has degraded air quality in rural areas and sometimes in more populated counties during inversion events or when winds are weak.

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than, produced significant structural damage, or resulted in casualties.
NameCountyAcresStart dateContainment dateNotes/Ref.
Fixed WingPerry1,75030 1 2025
Shoot HousePerry6,0822 3 20252 3 2025Burned in Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center. Caused around $18,000 in damage.
Blue StemFranklin2,03113 3 202513 3 2025
Greene - Turner RoadGreene2,28118 3 202523 3 2025
Flat RockBenton1,14522 3 202523 3 2025