Car fire believed to spark massive woods fire that closed highways

Traffic was moving smoothly Monday on Interstate 10 and U.S. 90, though smoke was drifting across roads in some areas in the aftermath of a 500-acre woods fire.

Caution signs were placed along eastbound and westbound lanes near the Mississippi state line after gusty winds Sunday morning caused a woods fire to spread across sections of U.S. 90 and crossed I-10.

“The fire is out but we are monitoring it to make sure it is controlled,” Earl Etheridge, director of Jackson County Emergency Services, said Monday.

A Jackson County sheriff’s deputy reported the fire about 9:45 a.m. Sunday at the Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge off Missala Road in Moss Point.

The fire apparently started as the result of a car fire, according to the Etheridge and the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge.

The fire crossed CSX railroad tracks and moved to Pecan Road and Old Stage Road as it spread across I-10.

Officials closed all lanes of I-10 from Exits 69 to 75, and U.S. 90 from Franklin Road to Pecan Road for several hours.

Numerous fire crews battled the blaze, which temporarily threatened several homes.

Officials say rain could help put out hot spots.

Etheridge on Monday said the Forts Lake Volunteer Fire Department and Jackson County Fire Services are monitoring the area.

An exact number of acreage burned has not been determined, but Etheridge said it appears the fire consumed more than 500 acres.

A different woods fire on Saturday burned an area off Gautier-Vancleave Road in Gautier about 1 1/2 miles north of I-10. A Mississippi Forestry Commission helicopter crew reported that fire about 2 p.m. That fire moved south to I-10 but was contained to property on the wildlife refuge property.

This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 9:35 AM with the headline "Car fire believed to spark massive woods fire that closed highways."