SC Forestry Commission issues Red Flag Fire Alert

The South Carolina Forestry Commission has issued a statewide Red Flag Fire Alert, effective immediately until further notice.
The Forestry Commission plans to reevaluate conditions on Sunday, March 23.
The alert has been issued to strongly discourage people from burning outdoors when weather conditions present an elevated risk of wildfire.
Forestry Commission officials said a cold front is moving across the state today and will usher in low relative humidities throughout the weekend, accompanied by sustained periods of gusty winds. The front may result in precipitation in some areas but the expected amounts of rainfall will not be significant enough to remediate already-dry fuels on the ground over much of the state.
“The combination of wind, low relative humidity, and dry fuels is very favorable for wildfire ignitions, so we ask that people who don’t have to burn to hold off until these conditions subside,” said Darryl Jones, SCFC fire chief in a press release. “The dramatic uptick in wildfires across the state over the last two months were in large part the result of exactly these typical springtime weather patterns.”
SCFC firefighters responded to 280 wildfires in February alone, above the five-year average for the second month of the year. The agency has already recorded 277 wildfires in March. Historically, wildfire occurrence in South Carolina is greater in March than in any other month.
Although a Red Flag Fire Alert does not ban outdoor burning, it 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.
The purpose of Red Flag Fire Alerts is to discourage people from doing any outdoor burning but to help reduce the strain on local fire departments and other first responders who need to remain available for other emergencies.