State Forester Gene Kodama has issued a ban on outdoor burning in counties within the SCFC Pee Dee operating region.
The State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits all outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of Dillon County.
A Burning Ban legally prohibits outdoor burning. Bans are emergency measures, declared only when outdoor burning is deemed a significant threat to public safety.
The State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits starting any fire in or adjacent to “woodlands, brushlands, grasslands, ditchbanks, or hedgerows” (SC Code 48-35-50). This is generally interpreted to include all types of outdoor burning.
SC Code 48-35-50 specifies that the decision to issue a State Forester’s Ban must be “deemed necessary in the interest of public safety.” When issued in response to existing or predicted wildfire danger, the informal criteria is the State Forester’s determination that available fire suppression resources may not be adequate to protect the public from expected wildfire events.
A State Forester’s ban may also be issued in advance of hurricanes, in response to specific smoke or atmospheric stability situations, or other events when fires could have an adverse impact on public safety.
In announcing a Burning Ban, the issuing authority will specify the area of South Carolina to which the restrictions apply. The State Forester’s Ban does not apply with the corporate limits of any town or city (SC Code 48-35-30 and 48-31-30).
Violation carries a fine of up to $100. Any burning to which a ban applies also requires prior notification to the Forestry Commission, so ignorance of a declared Ban is not generally considered a viable legal defense.
The Pee Dee operating region in June suppressed 118 fires (totaling 734.5 acres). Since July 1, firefighters in the Pee Dee have suppressed more than 60 fires (total acreage, TBA).
The public is asked to immediately report any suspicious smoke or fire to 911 or the Forestry Commission Dispatch Center, 1-800-777-FIRE.
