S.C. Forestry Commission issues statewide burning ban

COLUMBIA — South Carolina Forestry Commission issued a State Forester’s Burning Ban for all counties on Friday afternoon, effective at 6 p.m. that day, March 21.
A State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning, prescribed burning, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires in all unincorporated areas of the state.
Forestry Commission officials said weather conditions during the next several days present a greatly elevated risk of wildfire. The high winds and gusts that prompted the agency to issue a Red Flag Fire Alert earlier in the week are expected to persist across the state through the weekend.
Additionally, extremely low relative humidities — reaching below 30% in most areas — add to the fire danger.
“The combination of gusty winds and low relative humidity is a recipe for wildfires igniting easily and spreading rapidly,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones, “especially when you add to the mix the abundance of dry, late-winter fuels on the ground.”
The ban will stay in effect until further notice, which will come in the form of an official announcement from the Forestry Commission.
At the time the commission issued the statewide Red Flag Fire Alert, it planned to reevaluate conditions on Sunday, March 23.
The rainfall Thursday was not expected to be significant enough to remediate already-dry fuels on the ground over much of the state. 
“The dramatic uptick in wildfires across the state over the last two months were in large part the result of exactly these typical springtime weather patterns,” Jones said.
SCFC firefighters responded to 280 wildfires in February alone, above the five-year average for the second month of the year. The agency has already recorded 277 wildfires in March. Historically, wildfire occurrence in South Carolina is greater in March than in any other month.
According to the commission, “Escaped debris burns are the No. 1 cause of wildfires in South Carolina. They account for more wildfire ignitions — including lightning, arson and equipment use — than all other causes combined. Residential yard debris burns, prescribed burns, campfires and bonfires are strictly prohibited under a State Forester’s Burning Ban.”