Wildfire Update

The ban on outdoor burning has been cancelled for all South Carolina counties. Forestry Commission authorities explained that as resources are released from the fire near Myrtle Beach the agency's ability to respond to wildfires across the state will return to a pre-incident level.



Officials warned, however, that citizens need to remain vigilant for wildfires, since forest fuels are dry and wildfire danger is relatively high.



State Forester Gene Kodama declared the ban Thursday morning in response to the strain on the Commission's resources caused by the Horry County wildfire. While in effect, the ban prohibited outdoor burning in all unincorporated areas of South Carolina.



During the four-day ban, Forestry Commission firefighters responded to 56 wildfires which burned 1,148 acres, including a fire that burned more than 1,000 acres on Sandy Island in Georgetown County.



Even with the lifting of the burning ban, citizens are reminded that outdoor burning is still regulated by state law. The law requires anyone planning to burn outdoors to first notify the Forestry Commission, then conduct the burning according to prescribed safety regulations.