Simpsonville's Fire Regulations: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles fire regulations a little differently. In Simpsonville, South Carolina, there are 8 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Fire Pit Rules

South Carolina's open-burning regulation exempts recreational fires, so a backyard fire pit or chiminea is generally allowed. State law requires clean-wood fuel for warmth fires and never burning household trash, and city fire officials can order any fire extinguished if it becomes a hazard or nuisance.

Key details: Recreational fires: Exempt under SC Reg. 61-62.2. Fuel for warmth: Clean wood only, no treated lumber. Never burn: Trash, plastics, rubber, oils. City rule: IFC adopted, Ch. 20. Officials can: Order unsafe fire extinguished.

Burning prohibited materials or an unsafe/nuisance fire violates SC Reg. 61-62.2 and the city fire code; officials may order it ceased and pursue DHEC/municipal enforcement.

Fireworks

Consumer fireworks are legal statewide in South Carolina and permitted inside Simpsonville, but the city limits you to ICC class C 'common fireworks' and requires you to discharge them only on private property, never on public streets or in the fire zone/business district without council approval.

Key details: State stance: Consumer fireworks legal (permissive). State law: SC Code Title 23, Chapter 35. Allowed type: ICC class C common fireworks only. Where: Private property only, not public. Fire zone: Needs council approval.

Possessing, selling, storing, transporting, or using non-permissible fireworks, or discharging on public property, violates Chapter 20, Article V; enforced by police/fire marshal with municipal fines.

Outdoor Burning

South Carolina prohibits open burning statewide except for listed exceptions. You may burn leaves, tree branches, and yard trimmings that originate on your own residential property, but burning household garbage, plastics, tires, treated wood, or building materials is illegal.

Key details: Allowed: Leaves, branches, yard trimmings on-site. Prohibited: Garbage, plastics, tires, treated wood. Regulation: SC Reg. 61-62.2 (SCDES). Safety: Firebreak, attend, keep equipment. Not on: Ozone Action days.

Burning garbage, plastics, or other prohibited materials, or an uncontrolled burn, violates SC Reg. 61-62.2; a written warning followed by a repeat violation results in legal action.

Brush Clearance

Simpsonville is an upstate suburban city, not a designated wildfire zone, so there is no California-style defensible-space mandate. Overgrown brush and weeds are handled as a nuisance under the city's property code, and residents can dispose of cleared vegetation by permitted on-site burning or yard-waste collection.

Key details: Wildfire zone: Not designated high-risk. Defensible space: No fixed clearance mandate. Overgrowth: Nuisance/property-code issue. Disposal: On-site burn or yard-waste pickup. Burn limits: SC Reg. 61-62.2 applies.

Allowing brush, weeds, or grass to become a nuisance can trigger a city notice to abate under the property/nuisance code; unabated violations may lead to city abatement, liens, and fines.

Backyard Fires

Recreational backyard fires such as campfires and warmth fires are exempt from South Carolina's open-burning ban, so they are generally allowed in Simpsonville. Warmth fires must use only clean, untreated wood, and city fire officials can order any fire extinguished if it becomes unsafe.

Key details: Campfires: Exempt, generally allowed. Fuel: Clean, untreated wood only. Permit: Not required for recreational fire. Prohibited: Trash, plastics, treated wood. Officials: May order unsafe fire out.

An unsafe, oversized, or nuisance backyard fire, or burning prohibited materials, violates state open-burning rules and the city fire code and may be ordered extinguished with enforcement.

Smoke Detectors

South Carolina law requires approved, working smoke detectors in one- and two-family rental dwellings. The landlord must supply and install them and repair or replace a deficient detector within 15 days after written tenant notice. New or heavily remodeled dwellings need hardwired detectors.

Key details: State law: SC Code Section 5-25-1330. Applies to: 1- and 2-family rental dwellings. Landlord duty: Supply and install detectors. Repair window: 15 days after written notice. New builds: Hardwired detectors required.

A landlord who fails to supply, install, or timely repair required smoke detectors violates SC Code 5-25-1330 and the adopted fire/building code, exposing them to enforcement and liability.

Propane Storage

Simpsonville has no separate local propane code; it enforces the International Fire Code adopted statewide, which sets limits on the size and placement of LP-gas containers at homes. Larger tanks require clearances from buildings and property lines and are inspected by the fire marshal.

Key details: Governing code: International Fire Code (adopted). LP-gas standard: IFC Ch. 61 / NFPA 58. Grill cylinders: Small tanks allowed at homes. Large tanks: Clearance from buildings/lines. Oversight: City fire marshal.

Storing LP-gas containers beyond code quantity limits or without required clearances violates the adopted International Fire Code; the fire marshal may order correction and cite noncompliance.

Wildfire Zones

Simpsonville is a developed suburban city in Greenville County's upstate and is not mapped as a wildfire hazard zone. There is no wildland-urban-interface overlay or defensible-space mandate; wildfire risk is managed statewide by the SC Forestry Commission and its outdoor-burning rules.

Key details: WUI overlay: None in Simpsonville. Fire-hazard zone: Not designated. State agency: SC Forestry Commission. Burn bans: Suspend outdoor burning. Check before burning: Active bans/alerts.

Conducting outdoor burning during a Forestry Commission burn ban, or an escaped fire, can trigger state enforcement and liability for suppression costs and damages.

The Bottom Line

Simpsonville's fire regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Simpsonville is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Simpsonville can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.