Palmetto Rural Fire District

06/16/2026

Celebrate Summer at the Watermelon Festival

FLORENCE, SC – It’s time once again to celebrate all things watermelon at this year’s Watermelon Festival at the P*e Dee State Farmers Market on June 27, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join us for a delightful day celebrating sweet summer watermelons and featuring tasting events, exciting games, and activities for the whole family. This year, we are thrilled to welcome the 2025 SC Watermelon Queen, Gracen Vaughn, who will be making a special appearance at the festival.

As part of the festivities, the Palmetto Rural Fire Department will be offering fire truck tours and fun rides on The Little Red Fire Truck. This is an exciting opportunity for kids and adults alike to learn about fire safety and get up close with the heroes of our community! In addition to the watermelon festivities, attendees can enjoy delicious offerings from our food trucks and the market's on-site restaurant, Aloha Kitchen, as well as our new restaurants, The Coffee Doc and Deli and The Oyster Bar.

The drive-thru market will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 27, offering a wide selection of fresh produce, plants, food, gifts, and local goods. Mark your calendars and bring your friends and family for a day filled with fun, learning, and community spirit at the Watermelon Festival!

The P*e Dee State Farmers Market is located at 2513 W. Lucas St. in Florence. Admission and parking are free. The market has complimentary electric vehicle charging stations. For more information, call 843-665-5154 or contact Market Manager Bob Sager at mailto:[email protected] or Events Coordinator Mia Marshall at mailto:[email protected].

You can also visit http://agriculture.sc.gov/state-farmers-markets or find the market on Facebook at *eDeeFarmersMarket (https://www.facebook.com/peedeefarmersmarket).

A 45,000 square-foot drive-through farmer's shed filled to the brim with produce, plants, and crafts.

06/13/2026

We are proud to be apart of the CRR!
Receiving the award for the third time.

Left to right,

Fire Chief Thomas Spivey
Firefighter Brian Reyes
Assistant Chief Chris Jones

06/09/2026

🚙Connecting You and Your Loved Ones to Safe and Compassionate Mobility - P*e Dee Area and Beyond!🚙

At Palmetto Rural, we understand that getting to medical appointments, work, or daily errands shouldn’t be a source of stress. That’s why we are proud to offer dependable, compassionate, and professional non-emergency medical and community transport services tailored to your unique needs.

Whether it’s a critical medical appointment or a ride to work, our friendly team is here to ensure a safe, comfortable, and timely journey.
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📋 Our Specialized Services Include:

🚑 BLS Ambulance Transports: Designed for dialysis trips and any transport requiring the continuous, professional attention of a certified EMT.

🛌 Stretcher Van Services: Perfect for patients who need to travel in a specialized lying or reclined position, but do not require specialized medical equipment or active monitoring.

♿ Wheelchair & Ambulatory Transports: Reliable assistance to get you exactly where you need to go.
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🌟 Exciting News for Our Community!

We are expanding our Wheelchair and Ambulatory services! Beyond medical appointments, we are now broadening our reach to assist community members with daily life transportation—including reliable rides for work, grocery shopping, and other unique daily transit needs. Our lives and needs are always changing and Palmetto Rural is ready to ease any associated stresses.
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💼 Flexible Options for Everyone

No insurance or incompatible benefits? No problem. We proudly offer competitive out-of-pocket rates for all of our services. We are happy to provide a personalized quote based on your specific trip details so you know exactly what to expect.

📞 Let’s Get You Moving!

Your comfort and safety are our highest priorities. Give our friendly team a call today to discuss your needs or to get a personalized quote.

📱 Call us, today: 843-245-5031

05/31/2026

Safety training doesn’t stop just because the gates are closed.

Today, on our day off, we’re spending time with Palmetto Rural Fire going over fire extinguishing systems, safety procedures, and emergency response training.

At Darlington Dragway, racer and spectator safety will always be a priority. The goal is to keep learning, keep improving, and make sure our team is better prepared for anything that may happen on or off the racing surface.

Big thank you to Chief Spivey, Dave & Palmetto Rural Fire for taking the time to come out and work with us.

The work behind the scenes matters just as much as what everyone sees on race day.

05/31/2026

We would like to wish Chief Spivey a happy birthday!

05/25/2026

05/01/2026

SCFC to lift burning ban for all counties Friday: Officials urge vigilance while burning outdoors as drought conditions persist

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission will lift the State Forester's Burning Ban for all counties, effective at 7 a.m., Friday, May 1.

Agency officials believe the combination of rain, elevated relative humidity, improved overnight recovery and a lack of significant wind in the forecast warrant removing all remaining counties from outdoor burning restrictions.

“Many areas of the state have seen rainfall this week, and higher relative humidity and fuel moisture continue to mitigate significant fire potential,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “Though we expect even more rain across more of the state in the next week, people who choose to burn outdoors should still exercise vigilance as the rain we have received has not changed the state’s drought status.”

Shareable release:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Advisory-BurningBanToBeLiftedForRemaningCounties-20260430.pdf

04/17/2026

SC Forestry Commission to issue statewide burning ban; restriction on all outdoor burning goes into effect at 7 a.m. Friday

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission is issuing a State Forester’s Burning Ban for all counties, effective at 7 a.m. Friday, April 17.

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 cite a particularly dangerous mix of elevated wildfire risk factors through the weekend that warrant limiting all ignitions in the interest of public safety.

Rapidly escalating drought conditions across the state, a critical decrease in relative humidities over the next several days and gusty winds that are expected to accompany an approaching cold front will combine to 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.”

While the ban does not apply to fires used for the preparation of food or fires used in appropriate enclosures (portable outdoor fireplaces, chimineas or permanent fire pits constructed of stone, masonry, metal or other noncombustible material that conforms with all applicable South Carolina fire codes), Forestry Commission officials urge the utmost caution burning outdoors under these exemptions.

Likewise, citizens should exercise extreme vigilance operating any equipment that could create sparks, avoid parking on dry grass and refrain from using fireworks.

The ban will stay in effect until further notice, which will come in the form of an official announcement from the Forestry Commission.

Shareable release:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Advisory-StateForestersBurningBan-20260416.pdf