Cooking fires and fires in fire pits, chimineas, or portable outdoor fireplaces need no notification. But South Carolina law requires you to notify the SC Forestry Commission before burning yard debris, and residential-zone open burning is banned countywide.
In Richland County, small backyard fires split into two categories. Fires for immediate food preparation, and fires in permanent fire pits, chimineas, or portable outdoor fireplaces that meet fire codes, require NO notification to the SC Forestry Commission, provided you clear around the area and keep suppression equipment ready. However, burning yard debris (leaves, branches, trimmings) is different: state law requires citizens to notify the SC Forestry Commission before burning yard debris, and County Code Sec. 10-2 prohibits that burning entirely in residential zoning districts (allowed only in rural zones with 75-foot clearance). Statewide burn bans suspend all outdoor burning.
Burning yard debris without notification, or during a burn ban, can bring citations from SC Forestry and county fire officials plus liability if the fire escapes.
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See how Columbia's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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