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As wildfires grip South Carolina, governor warns: Burn and you’ll go to jail
Fire departments urge residents to adhere to an ongoing burn ban as dry conditions and wind spread wildfires across South Carolina.
NEWBERRY COUNTY, S.C. — A Newberry County fire department is urging the community not to burn anything outdoors as it helps contain one of many active wildfires across the state on Sunday.
Little Mountain Fire Department said it was assisting the Prosperity Fire Department with a “large woods fire” near Firetower Road and Highway 391. Since Saturday, dry, windy conditions have helped fuel over 100 fires across the state, some of the most intense occurring in the Pee Dee near Myrtle Beach.
While a 1,200-acre fire in the Carolina Forest region of Horry County has led to numerous neighborhood evacuations, the fires haven’t been limited to that region alone. The situation has become so severe that the South Carolina Forestry Commission has ordered a burn ban in the state, and Governor Henry McMaster has issued a state of emergency to help facilitate logistics associated with quickly moving state personnel and resources to fight the fires.
The governor also warned that anyone who violates the burn ban will face criminal prosecution and be jailed.
Meanwhile, local departments, including Little Mountain, have sent resources to one of the hardest-hit areas near Myrtle Beach in Horry County. The department also echoed a sentiment many others shared on social media in the last 48 hours: “Please do not burn at all.”