Authorities in Mississippi strongly advise campers and travelers to avoid bringing firewood into Mississippi from out-of-state. Harmful forest pests occur in many nearby states and are known to spread on firewood. Further, emerald ash borer has now been detected in Mississippi. The Mississippi Forestry Commission has confirmed that emerald ash borer has been found in Issaquena County. This pest is notorious for spreading on firewood. Firewood should not be moved out of Issaquena County, and firewood elsewhere in the state should not be transported long distances; anything over 50 miles is too risky.
Mississippi’s Forestry Commission asks that firewood users do the following to help prevent the spread of harmful non-native forest pests:
- Buy local and burn local
- Get firewood that was cut in your county, ideally less than 50 miles from where you’ll burn it
In many cases, moving firewood from Mississippi to other states is against the law, as this can spread forest pests like the federally regulated imported fire ant.
Campgrounds often have their own firewood rules – many times campers are required to purchase firewood in the campground or from nearby vendors; sometimes they permit the collection of dead and down firewood on-site. Be sure to learn the rules in your area and destination before traveling with firewood.
This summary is accurate to the best of DMF staff abilities as of 3 December 2025.
Additional Resources:
- Mississippi Forest Health, Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC)
- MFC Confirms First Detection of EAB in Mississippi, MFC
- Invasive Species Information Mississippi, USDA APHIS
- Buy Local Burn Local, Mississippi Forestry Commission
- Hungry Pests Mississippi Page, USDA APHIS
- Firewood Information, US Forest Service Southern Region
- Emerald Ash Borer Page, Mississippi Forestry Commission
- Imported Fire Ant Information and Map
Do you have more links for Mississippi? Help us out by clicking on the Submit A Link button below.