YORK COUNTY, S.C. — York County residents can resume outdoor burning beginning Wednesday morning after the South Carolina Forestry Commission lifted the State Forester’s Burning Ban that had been in effect for nearly two weeks.
The ban was lifted at 7 a.m. April 29 for York County and 11 other counties in the Piedmont region: Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Chester, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union. The ban remains in effect for the other 34 counties in South Carolina.
Forestry Commission officials said the weather factors that prompted the statewide burning ban 12 days ago have moderated in the northwestern part of the state, augmented primarily by an inch or more of rainfall in most areas.
“The lack of significant rainfall across most of the rest of the state is keeping fuels dry, and the current overall conditions in the central, eastern and southern counties remain volatile,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “Even without high winds and low relative humidity, the dry weather and drought conditions are expected to remain until we get extended soaking rain.”
The Forestry Commission first imposed the statewide burning ban on April 16, citing drought conditions that left vegetation tinder dry across South Carolina. Under a State Forester’s Burning Ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited in unincorporated areas, including yard debris burning, prescribed burns, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires.
Notification Still Required
Even with the ban now lifted in York County, state law continues to require notification of the Forestry Commission before any outdoor burning takes place in unincorporated areas. The requirement applies in most cases to residential yard debris burning, including leaves, limbs and branches cleared from yards.
Citizens can make residential burning notifications online at scfc.gov/notify or by calling the toll free notification number for their county, listed at scfc.gov/protection/fire-burning/how-to-notify/.
For prescribed burns conducted for forestry, wildlife management or agricultural purposes, including wildfire hazard reduction, brush control, endangered species management, wildlife habitat improvement, plant disease control, crop residue removal and land preparation for planting, residents and landowners must notify the Forestry Commission by calling (800) 777, 3473. All such burning must comply with South Carolina Smoke Management Guidelines.
Residents in incorporated areas of York County, including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Clover and York, should also check with their local fire departments before burning, as municipal ordinances may impose additional restrictions. The State Forester’s Ban does not apply within the corporate limits of any town or city.
Drought Concerns Persist
The lifted restriction comes against the backdrop of one of the driest stretches in state history. According to the South Carolina Drought Response Committee, statewide precipitation from September through March was the lowest in 131 years of record keeping. South Carolina typically receives about 25 inches of rain during that seven month window, but only roughly 10 inches fell this year, about 60 percent below normal. The state has not seen consistent, near normal rainfall since August 2025.
The Forestry Commission, the only state agency responsible for wildfire suppression in all unincorporated areas of the state, protects nearly 13 million acres from wildland fire and works alongside more than 500 county, municipal and volunteer fire departments operating more than 1,100 fire stations across South Carolina.
Forestry officials cautioned that the improved conditions in the Upstate do not signal a broader end to drought concerns. Dry weather is expected to persist across much of the rest of the state, and a renewed ban could be issued on short notice if conditions deteriorate.
Sources: South Carolina Forestry Commission press release dated April 28, 2026
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