VIDEO: The Big Hungry Fire in Carroll County burned 4,246 acres and forced the evacuation of 10 homes before reaching 100 percent containment Tuesday morning, making it the second-largest wildfire in Mississippi history.
The wildfire began Friday night and threatened 38 homes and two churches as it spread through terrain littered with debris from January’s ice storm and 2023 tornado damage.
Mississippi Forestry Commission Fire Chief Randy Giachelli said storm damage helped fuel the fire and made it harder for crews to stop the flames.
“Think of an acre as about a football field. So put that in your head. It’s a lot of ground out there,” Giachelli said.
An ice storm brought down trees and left behind heavy debris across the forest floor, turning the area into a tinderbox.
“If you push a dozer lane through the middle of it, you’ve got a heavy fuel load on both sides of the fire lane. All it’s doing is jumping our fire breaks. You can’t control it,” Giachelli said.
The Loess Bluff Hills terrain added to the challenge. Giachelli said the area has some of the steepest ground in the state, with deep gullies and high bluffs that make direct suppression tactics difficult.
As the fire grew from Friday into Sunday, crews had to widen the area they were trying to protect.
