Forestry Commission to lift burning ban for all counties Friday

COLUMBIA — South Carolina Forestry Commission will lift the State Forester's Burning Ban for all counties, effective at 7 a.m., Friday, May 1.

Agency officials think the combination of rain, elevated relative humidity, improved overnight recovery and a lack of significant wind in the forecast warrant removing all remaining counties from outdoor burning restrictions.

“Many areas of the state have seen rainfall this week, and higher relative humidity and fuel moisture continue to mitigate significant fire potential,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “Though we expect even more rain across more of the state in the next week, people who choose to burn outdoors should still exercise vigilance, as the rain we have received has not changed the state’s drought status.”

Residents who conduct outdoor burning of residential yard debris or prescribed burns must still notify the Forestry Commission before doing so.

Residential yard debris burning

State law requires residents who live in unincorporated areas to notify the Forestry Commission before burning outdoors. In most cases, the law applies to burning leaves, limbs and branches that people clean up from their yards. Residents who do live in city/town limits must still abide by any burning ordinances in their local jurisdictions.

Residents can make notification online by visiting scfc.gov/notify or by calling the toll-free notification number for the county in which they live, found here: scfc.gov/protection/fire-burning/how-to-notify/.

Prescribed burning

State law requires that you notify the Forestry Commission before burning for forestry, wildlife management or agricultural purposes. This includes burning for wildfire hazard reduction, brush control, endangered species management, wildlife habitat improvement, plant disease control, crop residue removal and preparation of land for planting trees or agricultural crops. All burning for forestry, wildlife and agriculture must comply with SC Smoke Management Guidelines. To make notification, regardless of county, call (800) 777-3473.