Burn Bans

LawLert read the South Carolina Forestry Commission's Bans and Alerts page today and it lists no active State Forester's or Governor's Burning Ban. The page does not publish an affirmative "no ban" statement, so treat this as the absence of a posted ban rather than a guarantee: check scfc.gov's Bans and Alerts page, or your local SCFC office, before you burn. When a State Forester's Ban is declared it bars starting any fire in or adjacent to woodlands, brushlands, grasslands, ditchbanks or hedgerows, including campfires and recreational fires; fires for warmth or food and fires in code-compliant enclosed fireplaces, chimineas or noncombustible fire pits are exempt under S.C. Code 48-35-55, and a ban does not apply inside city limits. Violation of either a State Forester's Ban or a Governor's Ban carries a fine of up to $200 for a first offense and at least $500 for second and subsequent offenses. Separately and at all times, state law requires you to notify the South Carolina Forestry Commission before burning yard debris. A Red Flag Fire Alert is advisory: it does not prohibit outdoor burning as long as all other state and local regulations are followed.