Jackson Volunteer Fire Department - SC

06/02/2026

We would like to give a BIG thank you to the Ladies of First Baptist Church of Jackson for once again providing dinner to our membership. Thanks for all of your support!!

05/01/2026

SCFC to lift burning ban for all counties Friday: Officials urge vigilance while burning outdoors as drought conditions persist

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission will lift the State Forester's Burning Ban for all counties, effective at 7 a.m., Friday, May 1.

Agency officials believe the combination of rain, elevated relative humidity, improved overnight recovery and a lack of significant wind in the forecast warrant removing all remaining counties from outdoor burning restrictions.

“Many areas of the state have seen rainfall this week, and higher relative humidity and fuel moisture continue to mitigate significant fire potential,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “Though we expect even more rain across more of the state in the next week, people who choose to burn outdoors should still exercise vigilance as the rain we have received has not changed the state’s drought status.”

Shareable release:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Advisory-BurningBanToBeLiftedForRemaningCounties-20260430.pdf

04/16/2026

SC Forestry Commission to issue statewide burning ban; restriction on all outdoor burning goes into effect at 7 a.m. Friday

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission is issuing a State Forester’s Burning Ban for all counties, effective at 7 a.m. Friday, April 17.

A State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning, prescribed burning, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires in all unincorporated areas of the state.

Forestry Commission officials cite a particularly dangerous mix of elevated wildfire risk factors through the weekend that warrant limiting all ignitions in the interest of public safety.

Rapidly escalating drought conditions across the state, a critical decrease in relative humidities over the next several days and gusty winds that are expected to accompany an approaching cold front will combine to create extreme fire danger.

"When it’s this dry – energy release component values are at high-to-critical levels – we’re just as likely, if not more, to see wildfires that are fuel-driven rather than wind-driven. Add the other volatile conditions of increased wind and lower relative humidity, and it becomes an especially precarious situation,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. "These conditions not only increase the likelihood of wildfires igniting easily and spreading rapidly, but would also make them more difficult for firefighters to control.”

While the ban does not apply to fires used for the preparation of food or fires used in appropriate enclosures (portable outdoor fireplaces, chimineas or permanent fire pits constructed of stone, masonry, metal or other noncombustible material that conforms with all applicable South Carolina fire codes), Forestry Commission officials urge the utmost caution burning outdoors under these exemptions.

Likewise, citizens should exercise extreme vigilance operating any equipment that could create sparks, avoid parking on dry grass and refrain from using fireworks.

The ban will stay in effect until further notice, which will come in the form of an official announcement from the Forestry Commission.

Shareable release:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Advisory-StateForestersBurningBan-20260416.pdf

04/08/2026

Forestry Commission issuing statewide Red Flag Fire Alert
COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission is issuing a statewide Red Flag Fire Alert, effective at 6 a.m. Wednesday, April 8.

The alert is being issued to strongly discourage people from burning outdoors when weather conditions present an elevated risk of wildfire.

In addition to a widespread deficit of rainfall that continues to intensify drought over much of the state, Wednesday’s forecast includes gusty winds higher than 20 mph and relative humidities under 25% in places.

Because current weather conditions are very conducive to fires escaping easily and spreading rapidly, anyone considering outdoor burning should take extra precautions if they still choose to burn under a Red Flag Fire Alert. Those who have burned recently should return to monitor their burn areas and ensure the dry conditions don’t cause any rekindling.

“Wildfire potential is always higher this time of year, and our use of the Red Flag Fire Alert a few weeks ago made a huge difference in the number of new ignitions,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “This warning is a great tool that encourages citizens to voluntarily postpone any such burning until the alert is lifted. We’re simply asking for people to respect the weather, be smart and stay safe.”

Adding to the danger, particularly in the western part of the state, are the heavy fuel loads that remain in our forests from Hurricane Helene. Not only can these downed, drying trees and other fuels act as kindling, increasing the risk of wildfire ignition and spread, but they also are likely to impede firefighters’ access, adversely impacting response capability.

Although a Red Flag Fire Alert does not ban outdoor burning, it does trigger certain county or local ordinances that restrict outdoor fires, so residents should contact their local fire departments to check whether such restrictions apply in their areas. The alert will remain in effect until lifted by the Commission, whose fire managers will continuously monitor the situation.

Press release:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Advisory-RedFlagFireAlert-260408.pdf

04/01/2026

Now that the official press release is out, we are pleased to announce that we have received the 2025 Fire Safe South Carolina Community Designation.

Fire Safe South Carolina’s mission is to unite fire service organizations to engage influential community stakeholders; together, we will support local fire departments to serve their citizens through strategic community risk reduction programs.

We are proud to join departments across our state who work each day to make our communities safer by increasing fire service community risk reduction participation through increased training, partnerships, and opportunities.

It is our honor to serve our community and we thank you for your support!

Fire Safe South Carolina congratulates 241 South Carolina fire departments for receiving the 2025 Fire Safe South Carolina Community Designation. For more information:https://llr.sc.gov/aboutus/mediacenter/news/2026/FSSC%202026%20Press%20Release.pdf

03/27/2026

SC Forestry Commission to issue statewide burning ban, effective at 4 p.m. today

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission is issuing a State Forester’s Burning Ban for all counties, effective at 4 p.m. today.

A State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning, prescribed burning, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires in all unincorporated areas of the state.

The ban does not apply to fires used for the preparation of food or fires used in appropriate enclosures (portable outdoor fireplaces, chimineas or permanent fire pits constructed of stone, masonry, metal or other noncombustible material that conforms with all applicable South Carolina fire codes).

Forestry Commission officials say weather conditions over the next several days present a greatly elevated potential for fires igniting easily and spreading rapidly. Dangerously low relative humidities – reaching below 20% in some areas – combined with extremely dry fuels statewide and gusty winds will create a particularly volatile mix of wildfire risk factors throughout the weekend.

"In addition to the intensifying drought conditions, the weather we’re going to see statewide over the next several days makes it ripe for any fire that starts to burn intensely and move fast,” SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones said. "While these conditions can make wildfires ignite easily anywhere and make it more challenging for firefighters to contain, we’re really concerned about areas where events like Hurricane Helene and recent ice damage have led to higher amounts of fuel. This burning ban is necessary to limit ignitions to the maximum extent possible to prevent severe wildfires for public safety purposes."

The ban will stay in effect until further notice, which will come in the form of an official announcement from the Forestry Commission.

Shareable link:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Advisory-StateForestersBurningBan-20260327.pdf

03/24/2026

SC Forestry Commission issuing statewide Red Flag Fire Alert, effective immediately

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission is issuing a statewide Red Flag Fire Alert, effective immediately until further notice.

The alert is being issued to strongly discourage people from burning outdoors when weather conditions present an elevated risk of wildfire. In addition to drought intensifying from a lack of significant rainfall, forecasts are calling for higher winds, low humidities and no precipitation in the foreseeable future.

A Red Flag Fire Alert does not prohibit outdoor burning, provided that all other state and local regulations are followed, but the Forestry Commission uses the alert to strongly encourage citizens to voluntarily postpone any such burning until the alert is lifted. Because current weather conditions are very conducive to fires escaping easily and spreading rapidly, anyone considering outdoor burning should take extra precautions if they still choose to burn under a Red Flag.

“The combination of dangerous conditions and dry fuels we’re going to see statewide for the next several days all add up to an elevated wildfire risk, and any fire that ignites is likely to burn intensely and spread rapidly,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “With this alert, we’re asking people to respect the weather and hold off from burning outdoors until the weather improves. If you have burned recently, we encourage you to monitor the burn area to make sure the dry conditions don’t cause it to rekindle.”

Adding to the danger, particularly in the western part of the state, are the heavy fuel loads that remain in our forests from Hurricane Helene. Not only can these downed, drying trees and other fuels act as kindling, increasing the risk of wildfire ignition and spread, but they also are likely to impede firefighters’ access, adversely impacting response capability.

Although a Red Flag Fire Alert does not ban outdoor burning, it does trigger certain county or local ordinances that restrict outdoor fires, so residents should contact their local fire departments to check whether such restrictions apply in their areas. The alert will remain in effect until lifted by the Commission, whose fire managers will continuously monitor the situation.

Shareable link:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Advisory-RedFlagFireAlert-260324.pdf

03/23/2026

02/20/2026

See smoke and wonder where it's coming from? 💨 Get helpful information with our FREE SCFC app! ⬇️⁠
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Our app has various fire features including:⁠
1️⃣ WILDFIRE MAP. See how many active and contained fires are currently in SC. Get details on the location, status, cause and more.⁠
2️⃣ KBDI WEATHER MAP. Use the Keetch-Byram Drought Index to see assessments and predictions of wildfire potential and severity.⁠
3️⃣ PRESCRIPTION BURN ACTIVITY. See how many active controlled burns are happening, the burn location, burn type and more.⁠
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Download for iPhone or Android: https://www.scfc.gov/protection/fire-burning/mobile-wildfire-app/

Desktop prescribed burn map: https://scfc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/075290ae991b45b3a8a9d2015202008f

Desktop active wildfire map: https://scfc.firesponse.com/public/

02/10/2026

Tonight, reviewing turnout gear with new members, highlighting the importance of understanding its functionality and limitations.