SC Forestry Commission Issues 20-County Burning Ban

The South Carolina Forestry Commission has issued a State Forester’s Burning Ban for 20 counties, effective at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1.

The counties subject to the burning ban include those with infrastructure affected most dramatically by damage from Hurricane Helene: Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union and York.

A State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning, in unincorporated areas, as well as burning for forestry, wildlife or agricultural purposes, otherwise known as prescribed, or controlled, burns. The ban does not apply to fires used for the preparation of food or fires used in appropriate enclosures (portable outdoor fireplaces, chimineas, or permanent fire pits constructed of stone, masonry, metal or other noncombustible material that conforms with all applicable South Carolina fire codes).

The burning ban is intended to ease the strain on firefighting personnel and law enforcement officials – from both the Forestry Commission and from local fire departments – many of whom were dispatched to affected areas to assist with road clearing, damage assessment and related cleanup.

“We understand people may wonder why a burning ban is necessary when more than half of the state has received so much rain,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “We’re issuing the ban not because of elevated fire danger, but rather because so many of our firefighting and emergency personnel and resources are committed to hurricane-related response.”

After consultation with Gov. Henry McMaster and other emergency response organizations Monday, State Forester Scott Phillips declared the ban to reduce possible wildfire ignitions.

Because most wildfires in South Carolina are caused by escaped debris burns – more than 50 percent – the need to curtail ignitions is paramount because of the limited fire response available at this time. “The difficulty that emergency personnel are having accessing areas with trees and power lines down,” Jones said, “combined with the inability to maintain reliable water pressure are major risk factors.”

Many counties in the affected areas operate debris collection sites for wood waste, especially after large storms. Citizens are encouraged to check with their county’s solid waste management department for such resources. This ban does not apply to fires permitted by the SC Department of Environmental Services, including burning conducted at permitted storm debris disposal sites.

In addition to performing its normal wildfire suppression operations, the Forestry Commission has deployed its full complement of firefighting, law enforcement and incident management personnel to support the state’s coordinated emergency response.

The ban will stay in effect until further notice, which will come in the form of an official announcement from the Forestry Commission.