Fire Regulations in Columbia, SC (2026)
3 verified fire regulations for Columbia, South Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Columbia allows recreational open fires, such as backyard campfires and fire pits, without a burning permit under Section 8-131(a)(5), so long as the fire creates no smoke violation or nuisance; every other form of open burning needs a permit from the pollution control officer.
Columbia Recreational Fire Pit Rules
Light RestrictionsColumbia, SC Code of Ordinances § 8-131(a)(5)
(a)All open burning is prohibited without special permit issued by the pollution control officer with concurrence of the fire department in exceptional cases, except as follows: ... (5)Open fires may be set for recreational purposes, such as campfires, provided no smoke violation or nuisance is created.
Fireworks
Columbia's Sec. 14-108 bars discharging fireworks between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. citywide, with extended windows on July 4th and New Year's Eve. It bans igniting fireworks within 600 feet of a church, hospital, or school, selling to children under 16 without a parent, and shooting fireworks from or at a vehicle.
Columbia Fireworks Discharge Hours Ban
Significant RestrictionsCity Code § 14-108
(a)Except as otherwise provided in this section, it is unlawful for a person to use, discharge, shoot, or ignite fireworks or similar explosives within the city between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. This section may not be construed to prohibit the discharge or lighting of sparklers or similar pyrotechnic products which generate no appreciable noise at any time. For the purposes of this...
Outdoor Burning
Columbia bans all open burning within city limits unless the pollution control officer issues a special permit with fire department concurrence, or the fire falls into one of five narrow exceptions such as official-duty fires, cooking fires, construction heaters, agricultural burns or nuisance-free recreational campfires.
Columbia Open Burning Permit Requirement
Significant RestrictionsColumbia, SC Code of Ordinances § 8-131(a)
(a)All open burning is prohibited without special permit issued by the pollution control officer with concurrence of the fire department in exceptional cases, except as follows:(1)Open fires may be set in performance of an official duty of any public officer if the fire is necessary for the prevention of a hazard which cannot be abated by other means, for the instruction of public firefighters ...
Looking for Richland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Columbia city rules.
Fire Regulations in Richland County →