The South Carolina Forestry Commission is issuing a Red Flag Fire Alert for all counties within its Pee Dee and Coastal operating regions effective at 7p.m. Friday.

A Red Flag Fire Alert does not necessarily outlaw outdoor burning. It means that Fire Management staff with the Forestry Commission strongly advises postponing outdoor burning until weather and fuel conditions improve. Be advised, however, that there are a few counties where local ordinances do ban outdoor burning under Red Flag conditions.

An approaching weather system this weekend is expected to bring high winds, low relative humidity and only a negligible amount of rain. These conditions will make debris burns difficult to control and they support the spread of wildfire. Combined with the Commission's diminished firefighting capacity (due to budget cuts and a shrinking personnel roster), on-going drought conditions, and the tendency for fire starts to spike during weekends, SCFC staff have chosen to issue this Red Flag Alert.

Red Flag Alerts are issued to protect the public and reduce the number of fires our crews will have to suppress.

Counties affected in the Commission's Pee Dee operating region:

1. Chesterfield

2. Clarendon

3. Darlington

4. Dillon

5. Florence

6. Georgetown

7. Horry

8. Kershaw

9. Lancaster

10. Lee

11. Marion

12. Marlboro

13. Sumter

14. Williamsburg

Counties affected in the Commission's Coastal operating region:

1. Aiken

2. Allendale

3. Bamberg

4. Barnwell

5. Beaufort

6. Berkeley

7. Calhoun

8. Charleston

9. Colleton

10. Dorchester

11. Hampton

12. Jasper