Fire pit rules in York County, SC — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Backyard fire pits are legal across unincorporated York County. South Carolina requires no state permit for a recreational fire, but S.C. Code 48-35-10 requires you to notify the Forestry Commission before any fire set in or next to woodlands.
South Carolina is permissive about recreational fire. No state agency licenses a backyard fire pit, and SCDHEC's open-burning rule treats cooking and recreational fires as exempt. The catch in wooded York County is location. Under S.C. Code 48-35-10, starting a fire in or adjacent to woodlands, grasslands, or leaves is unlawful unless you first notify the South Carolina Forestry Commission and clear a firebreak around it. A pit ringed by lawn well away from trees does not trigger that rule. Keep it small, burn clean dry wood, and never during a county burn ban. Municipal codes in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Tega Cay add setbacks.
A fire that escapes or drifts smoke onto neighbors can be abated as a nuisance. Lighting a woodland-adjacent fire without notifying the Forestry Commission, or burning during a drought ban, is a misdemeanor.
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