Forestry Commission to issue statewide burn ban

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO)– The SC Forestry Commission announced Thursday it will issue a statewide burn ban beginning 7am Friday.

Officials say the ban prohibits all outdoor burning including yard debris, prescribed burns, campfires, bonfires, and any other recreational fires.

According to the commission rapidly escalating drought condition, a decrease in humidity, gusty winds, and a coming cold front create extreme fire 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. Add the other volatile conditions of increased wind and lower relative humidity, and it becomes an especially precarious situation,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “These conditions not only increase the likelihood of wildfires igniting easily and spreading rapidly, but would also make them more difficult for firefighters to control.”

The commission says the ban will remain in effect until further notice.