Flames engulf a distinctive rock-faced house on Highway 32 west of Water Valley Sunday morning. The Sylva Rena Volunteer Fire Department responded, with backup from Velma and assistance from volunteers across the county. The vacant house was a total loss.– Photo provided by Bennett Hill
SYLVA RENA – A vacant house on Highway 32 west of Water Valley was destroyed by fire early Sunday morning, drawing a response from firefighters across Yalobusha County.
Yalobusha County Emergency Management Agency Director Stewart Spence said the Sylva Rena Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at 6:53 a.m. to the residence at 15964 Highway 32, near Sylva Rena, with the Velma Volunteer Fire Department dispatched for backup. Volunteers from across the county assisted in the firefighting effort, and the Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
“It was pretty much fully involved when we got on the scene,” Spence said.
Firefighters worked to contain the blaze, but the structure was too heavily damaged to save. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Burn Ban Remains in Effect
Spence also reported that the countywide burn ban remains in effect until at least Nov. 30. Despite recent rainfall, he said conditions remain dangerously dry.
“It’s just as bad now as before the rain,” Spence said.
Firefighters responded to a blaze Saturday on County Road 55 that appeared to involve a violation of the burn ban. The fire spread across a field and burned a hunting club structure. The incident remains under investigation.
Spence reported that crews continue working to contain a smoldering mulch fire at the county’s rubbish pit on County Road 91, where hundreds of tons of mulch from the cleanup of debris left by Winter Storm Fern were hauled.
The fire was discovered by a county employee who noticed smoke coming from the mulch. Equipment operators began separating burning material from the surrounding mulch.
The affected area at the rubbish pit measured approximately 150 by 100 feet and crews continue hauling in dirt to cover the mulch.
Spence explained that decomposing debris generates heat, and recent rainfall compacted the mulch, accelerating the decomposition process. The resulting buildup of heat is suspected of causing the fire.
