COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission is making it easier for the public to conduct safe residential yard debris burns.

Citizens who live outside of city limits can now make their legally required notification on the agency’s website at scfc.gov/notify.

State law requires people who live in unincorporated areas to notify the Forestry Commission before they conduct an outdoor debris burn. For decades the only way to make such notification was by calling a toll-free number and leaving a voicemail with the burner’s name, address and phone number.

“The notification system is in place to help the Forestry Commission quickly determine if a detected fire is a wildfire or a legal debris burn that is being conducted safely,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “Not only is this new method faster and easier for citizens, but our ability to see these notifications instantly in real time adds greatly to our wildfire response capabilities.”

The existing phone/voicemail notification process is still available for citizens who would rather call in their burns, but agency officials believe the convenience of the new online system will eventually make it the preferred method.

“It’s important to note that this notification system does not apply to prescribed burns,” said Jones. “People who are planning these larger kinds of agricultural and forestry burns must call (800) 777-3473 and speak to a Forestry Commission dispatcher, who will walk them through the approval process.”

In addition to notifying the Forestry Commission before conducting a residential yard debris burn, citizens must also take the proper precautions:

limit fires to vegetative material like leaves, pine straw, limbs and branches that originate from the property of the burn;clear a wide firebreak around the burning site;have the right equipment – water, rakes, etc. – available to keep the fire under control; and stay with the fire until it is completely out.