‘Gunshots’ heard on MLK Thursday actually burning bamboo

Vicksburg residents on Martin Luther King Blvd. were alarmed Thursday evening by what sounded like gunfire, but actually turned out to be bamboo shoots popping in a small brush fire.

Vicksburg Fire Department was dispatched to the 2200 block of MLK for a reported structure fire, but when they arrived on scene it was determined to be a fire in a patch of bamboo.  Nearby residents were initially alerted by the popping of the bamboo, then saw the smoke and reported it to authorities.

Vicksburg Fire Deputy Chief Trey Martin was on the scene along with Engine 6 and Engine 3, as well as multiple Vicksburg Police officers.  The fire was quickly extinguished without any damage to the nearby home.

The initial cause of the fire remains under investigation.