The South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) is urging caution as spring weather often is known to fuel an active wildfire season. In a recent social media post, the agency reminded residents that drought-like conditions, low humidity and high winds could spark issues related to burning.
According to the SCFC, South Carolinians should expect the state to enter a drying pattern for the next seven to 10 days. Forecasters say this will likely worsen the droughts already affecting the much of the state.
Forestry officials say conditions this week will mirror those that preceded the Table Rock Fire, the largest wildfire in recent state history. The wildfire, caused by discarded cigarettes, ignited last March and burned more than 13,000 acres over a two week period.
Per the United States Drought Monitor, the upstate is experiencing some of the worst drought conditions in the state. Laurens, Anderson, Abbeville, Greenwood, and Union counties—along with parts of Greenville, Spartanburg, Cherokee, and McCormick counties—are under extreme drought, the third level on a five-level scale. Meanwhile, most of the Lowcountry is in severe drought, level two, while much of the Midlands and Pee Dee sit between levels zero and one.
The SCFC urges the public to remain vigilant and cautious before burning outdoors. Best practices include:
- Check the weather before you burn. Avoid burning on days with high wind speeds and days with lower relative humidity's (less than 30%).
- Notify the Forestry Commission before you begin your burn. This only applies in areas of the state outside of city and town limits. Notifications must be made every unique day that you burn.
- Clear a firebreak, a strategically cleared gap in vegetation, around the material being burned that is at least half of the width of the burn pile itself.
- Have proper and sufficient tools and water on hand to prevent the fire spreading.
- Stay with the fire at all times.
- Extinguish the fire completely and thoroughly.
More information about reducing the risks of wildfires can be found online.