On Tuesday, Feb. 27, several fires were sparked by a passing train along the GRYR Grenada Railroad possibly coming from Biewer Sawmill in Winona. From what officials and locals could tell, three initial fires were set along the expansion of track between Elliot and Winona, all of which quickly swelled with the roughly 20 mph winds and came together in a large blaze behind Dixie Roofing. Two Dixie Roofing crews consisting of roughly five individuals all together split up and set out to manage the containment of the flames with only the extinguishers. Dixie Roofing Owner Kris Blakely stated the two crews on shift at the time expended 12 fire extinguishers in their battle against the flames as they held it’s advance off while Montgomery Sheriff’s Deputies and Winona Fire Department were enroute to the location. Blakely stated he and his crew luckily caught the fire before it could reach any buildings in the area around Dixie Roofing, but they called both the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department and the Winona Fire Department.
Blakely commented when they saw the fire “coming through the forest behind Dixie Roofing, there was nothing else we could do.”
As Winona Fire Department, Duck Hill Volunteer Fire Department, and Kilmichael Volunteer Fire Department arrived, they were ushered to action with the guidance of responding Montgomery County Deputies. Brad Mooneyham, Winona Fire Chief, reported that two Winona Engines and a crew of six firefighters were on site at the fire. Deputies worked to locate fires, helping delegate specific areas in need to the responding Fire Departments. In addition to the work of the Fire Departments and Montgomery County Deputies, the Mississippi Forestry Commission responded to the fire.
Sheriff Tompkins of Montgomery County stated that deputies were “locating fires so the forestry commission knew where to go.”
Dennis Dauterive, Region 2 Mississippi Regional Forester, reported that according to the report submitted the forestry commission worked on five spots in the area with three bulldozers cutting fire lanes to contain the spread. He also reported a total of 36 acres of land were affected by the fires.
