COLUMBIA, SC(WOLO) — According to the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the current statewide burning ban will be lifted for 41 counties on Monday at 6 a.m. However, Greenville, Horry, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg counties will remain under the ban until further notice. The Forestry Commiss ion is lifting the ban in the other 41 counties because the dangerous combination of low relative humidities and gusty winds that prompted the March 21 outdoor burning prohibition has improved and is expected to ease significantly across the state over the next week. The ban is being left in place in the remaining counties due to the sheer amount of Forestry Commission and fire department personnel/equipment dedicated to the Table Rock Complex in Greenville and Pickens counties, which includes two wildfires that have grown to a combined 13,000-plus acres, and has potential to strain the capacity of local response to new wildfire ignitions. The ban in Horry County remains in place while Forestry Commission resources continue to focus their efforts on mop-up and strengthening firebreaks around the Myrtle Beach-area Covington Drive Fire, which is now 85% contained. “Burning bans are not intended to be extended, much less permanent, solutions to wildfires,” says SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “Prescribed burns in particular are necessary tools for forestry and agriculture, but we can’t emphasize enough the importance of using fire prudently and respecting the weather.” Underlying conditions still warrant the need to be extremely vigilant when burning outdoors, with above-average fire danger and activity expected through April, which has historically seen the worst, most damaging and costly wildfires in South Carolina. The SC Forestry Commission says that anyone who burns outdoors and allows their fire(s) to escape will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Citizens who plan to conduct outdoor burning of residential yard debris or prescribed burns must still notify the Forestry Commission before doing so. Notification procedures as well as mandatory precautions for conducting burns may be found on the SCFC website: scfc.gov/protection/fire-burning/. Categories: Local News, News Tags: SC Forestry Commission ...read more read less