Columbia, SC 04/22/2021 - The SC Forestry Commission is extending its Red Flag Fire Alert through Friday April 23.
In Lexington County, when the state goes under a Red Flag Alert, the county's burn ordinance is automatically activated and most outside burning is banned. The alert will remain in place to discourage people from burning outdoors while the weather conditions continue to present an elevated risk of wildfire. The relative humidity will not increase to normal levels overnight, which can lead to drier fuels and earlier ignitions the following day. This persisting low relative humidity creates a greater-than-average potential for outdoor fires to escape easily and spread rapidly. The alert is likely to be lifted after Friday when heavy precipitation is expected across the state Saturday.
“During the first two days of this Red Flag Fire Alert, we’ve had more than 70 wildfire ignitions in all corners of the state, so we really want to drive home the danger to people who may still be considering burning outdoors,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones.
A Red Flag Fire Alert does not prohibit outdoor burning, provided that all other state and local regulations are followed, but the Forestry Commission strongly encourages citizens to voluntarily postpone any such burning until the alert is lifted. However, a Red Flag Fire Alert does trigger certain county or local ordinances that restrict outdoor fires, so residents should contact their local fire departments to check whether such restrictions apply in their areas.
The alert will remain in effect until lifted by the Commission, whose fire managers will continuously monitor the situation.
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