04/30/2026
SCFC to lift burning ban for 7 more counties Thursday
COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission will lift the State Forester's Burning Ban for an additional seven counties, effective at 7 a.m., Thursday, April 30.
Agency officials believe the combination of rain and elevated relative humidity stretching from the Midlands to the Upstate warrant removing Edgefield, Fairfield, Newberry, Lexington, McCormick, Richland and Saluda counties from outdoor burning restrictions.
Twenty-seven counties remain subject to the ban, however, highlighting the elevated fire danger that remains in a majority of the state (see map at right).
“We’re seeing relative humidities increase across the state each day as well as good RH recovery overnight, which raises the moisture level in finer forest fuels,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “Sustained winds and gusts are lower too, and the prospect of even more rain across greater portions of the state over the next week could help us get out of what has been an extended period of fire danger this year.”
Citizens who may plan to conduct outdoor burning of residential yard debris or prescribed burns in counties not subject to the burning ban must still notify the Forestry Commission before doing so:
Residential yard debris burning
State law requires citizens who live in unincorporated areas to notify the Forestry Commission before burning outdoors. In most cases, the law applies to burning leaves, limbs and branches that people clean up from their yards. Citizens who do live in city/town limits must still abide by any burning ordinances in their local jurisdictions.
Citizens can make notification online by visiting scfc.gov/notify or by calling the toll-free notification number for the county in which they live, found here: scfc.gov/protection/fire-burning/how-to-notify/.
Prescribed burning
State law requires that you notify the Forestry Commission before burning for forestry, wildlife management or agricultural purposes. This includes burning for wildfire hazard reduction, brush control, endangered species management, wildlife habitat improvement, plant disease control, crop residue removal and preparation of land for planting trees or agricultural crops. All burning for forestry, wildlife and agriculture must comply with SC Smoke Management Guidelines. To make notification, regardless of county, please call (800) 777-3473.
Shareable release:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Advisory-BurningBanToBeLiftedForPiedmontCounties-20260429.pdf