Burning bans in place

Because of the extreme dry conditions, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources has issued a burning ban on the 33,000-acre Jocassee Gorges area in northern Oconee and Pickens counties.  Firefighters from the S.C. Forestry Commission, area volunteer fire departments and the Clemson Experimental Forest dealt yesterday with a wildfire on Pinnacle Mountain near Table Rock State Park in northern Pickens. The fire was started accidentally by a campfire near the Foothills Trail. “We are scrambling around getting signs out and checking trails and getting people out of the way in case this fire on Pinnacle Mountain is not contained,” said Mark Hall, land manager for the Jocassee Gorges area for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Until further notice, burning, including campfires, will not be allowed on any Jocassee Gorges lands. The S.C. Forestry Commission has issued a burning ban, effective immediately, for five Upstate counties: Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens and Spartanburg. State Forester Gene Kodama enacted the ban yesterday because of weather conditions in the Upstate that present an elevated risk of wildfire. Forecasts for the five counties over the next week include gusting winds and very low relative humidity, which combine with dry fuels on the ground to create the potential for outdoor fires escaping easily and spreading rapidly.