Recreational backyard fires and fires for cooking food are exempt from SC's open-burning ban. Regulation 61-62.2 Section I.B allows 'open burning in connection with the preparation of food for immediate consumption,' and Section I.C covers recreational fires.
In unincorporated Charleston County a backyard fire is legal when it fits an exemption in SC Reg 61-62.2, which otherwise prohibits open burning. Cooking fires qualify under Section I.B, and campfire-style recreational fires under Section I.C, using only clean, untreated wood. No county permit is required for these. Trash burning, burning treated lumber, and burning off-site debris are never allowed. The county's Ch. 3 Livability nuisance rules still apply, so drifting smoke that disturbs neighbors can be cited even when the fire itself is exempt. During dry spells, watch for temporary burn bans given the county's proximity to the Francis Marion National Forest.
A backyard fire that burns prohibited materials or becomes a persistent smoke nuisance can bring a DES open-burning violation and a county nuisance citation.
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