A statewide burning ban took effect at 7 a.m. Friday, April 17, as the South Carolina Forestry Commission warned of dangerous fire conditions across the state heading into the weekend.
The State Forester’s Burning Ban, which applies to all counties, prohibits outdoor burning in all unincorporated areas of South Carolina. That includes yard debris burning, prescribed burning, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires.
It is the second statewide burning ban issued in South Carolina so far this spring. A previous ban was put in place in late March and later lifted on March 30 after conditions improved.
Forestry officials said the latest ban was prompted by a dangerous mix of rapidly worsening drought conditions, critically low relative humidity and gusty winds expected with an approaching cold front, all of which are contributing to extreme wildfire danger.
“When it’s this dry — energy release component values are at high-to-critical levels — we’re just as likely, if not more, to see wildfires that are fuel-driven rather than wind-driven,” SC Forestry Commission Fire Chief Darryl Jones said in the release. “Add the other volatile conditions of increased wind and lower relative humidity, and it becomes an especially precarious situation.”
Jones said the conditions increase the likelihood that wildfires will ignite easily, spread rapidly and become more difficult for firefighters to control.
The Forestry Commission noted the ban does not apply to fires used for food preparation or fires contained in proper enclosures, such as portable outdoor fireplaces, chimineas or permanent fire pits made of noncombustible materials that meet South Carolina fire codes. Even so, officials urged residents to use extreme caution under those exemptions.
Residents are also encouraged to avoid operating equipment that could create sparks, avoid parking on dry grass and refrain from using fireworks while conditions remain hazardous.
The ban will remain in effect until further notice. The Forestry Commission also noted that escaped debris burns remain the leading cause of wildfires in South Carolina, accounting for more wildfire starts than lightning, arson and equipment use combined.
