• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

James Island Public Service District

Serving James Island, some residents of Charleston and Folly Beach.h.

  • Home
  • Wastewater Emergency Info
  • Employment
  • Bids & Proposals
  • FAQs

  • SERVICES & DEPARTMENTS
    • Wastewater
    • Fire & Rescue
    • Solid Waste
    • Fleet
    • Human Resources
    • Finance
  • Community Events
  • Commission
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

SC Forestry Commission to issue statewide burning ban, effective Tuesday, April 7

April 20, 2020 By James Island PSD

SC FORESTRY COMMISSION TO ISSUE STATEWIDE BURNING BAN, EFFECTIVE TUESDAY, APRIL 7

Contact:
Doug Wood, Dir. of Communications
(803) 968-1576 CELL | (803) 896-8820 OFFICE | DWood@scfc.gov

The South Carolina Forestry Commission will declare a State Forester’s Burning Ban for all counties, effective at 6 a.m. Tuesday, April 7.

A State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits outdoor burning anywhere outside of city/town limits in South Carolina, including:
• yard debris burns;
• forestry, wildlife or agricultural burns
(also known as prescribed, or controlled, burns); and
• campfires and other types of recreational open burning.

After consultation with officials with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, State Forester Scott Phillips ordered the statewide burning ban in the interest of public safety amid the current public health threat posed by COVID-19 virus.

Not only can smoke exacerbate the symptoms of those who have contracted the virus, but it also can trigger underlying respiratory issues in otherwise unaffected individuals, which could result in symptoms similar to those the COVID-19 virus is known to cause. “For infected individuals, breathing smoke could make coronavirus symptoms worse, increasing the risk of hospitalization or death,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC Physician Consultant. “It could also cause people who have not contracted the coronavirus, but who are presenting COVID-19-like symptoms, to seek medical care at a time when medical resources are already stretched thin.”

“With known coronavirus infections increasing in all 46 counties of the state, we simply cannot continue to allow legal burning under these unprecedented circumstances,” said Phillips. “Reducing outdoor burning will also minimize the strain on local fire departments and other first responders who need to remain available for other COVID-19 response activities.”

Agency leadership acknowledges that prohibiting prescribed burning during what is traditionally the busiest time of year will be difficult for land managers in all parts of the state. “We know how beneficial the practice is for agricultural and forest management, and it is, along with our ongoing fire prevention and education efforts, the best tool we have to reduce both the number and severity of wildfires,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “But extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and the decision to enact this ban really had to be made in the current context.”

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

LINK TO RELEASE: http://www.state.sc.us/…/releases/stateforestersburningban0…

Filed Under: Current News

Footer

CONTACT US

Office Hours:

Monday- Thursday
8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Phone:

843-795-9060

Office Location:

1739 Signal Point Road
Charleston, SC 29412

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 12140
Charleston, SC 29422-2140

NAVIGATE

Home
Pay Your Bill
FAQs
Commission
About Us
Contact Us
Wastewater

Fire & Rescue
Solid Waste
Fleet
Human Resources
Finance
News

For Wastewater Emergencies ONLY
Please Call 843-795-2345
We’re here to help 24 hours a day!

FOLLOW US

 

General Inquiries | Customer Service Inquiries

Copyright © 2025 · James Island Public Service District. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Term & Conditions