Pimlico Rural Volunteer Fire Department

05/05/2026

It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Ex Chief and Life-member John Dick of Pimlico Fire Department. Ex Chief Dick was one of the founding members of Pimlico Fire Department. We will continue to honor his legacy within our department.

His graveside service will be held Friday, May 8, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Live Oak Memorial Gardens, 3093 Ashley River Road. Arrangements are by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc., West Ashley Chapel.

https://obits.jhenrystuhr.com/john-dick

04/28/2026

This week 10 students from C&B FD, Dorchester County Fire/Rescue, Moncks Corner Rural FD and Pimlico FD completed SCFA Basic Auto Extrication with our Training Division. All students successfully completed their skills portion of the course Sunday afternoon.
We also want to extend a huge thank you to our neighbors at Berkeley Scrap Metal in Moncks Corner for allowing us to use their property for the skills testing.
Congratulations all.

04/17/2026

Starting now we are officially in a Burn Ban as per The South Carolina Forestry Commission. Please follow their instructions and do not burn.

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

04/16/2026

Effective tomorrow morning 4/17/26 at 7am we are in a State wide Burn Ban. Please follow the directions from The South Carolina Forestry Commission and do not burn.

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

04/14/2026

This National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, we proudly recognize the incredible 911 dispatchers of Berkeley County.
Behind every emergency response is a calm, steady voice guiding the way—answering calls in moments of fear, gathering critical information, and ensuring help arrives as quickly as possible. These professionals are the first first-responders, working tirelessly behind the scenes 24/7 to support our community and keep both residents and emergency crews safe.
Their strength, compassion, and dedication do not go unnoticed. Whether it’s a life-threatening emergency or a call for assistance, they are always there—ready to listen, ready to act.
Thank you, Berkeley County 911 dispatchers, for your service, your sacrifice, and your unwavering commitment to protecting others. 🚨

04/07/2026

Starting tomorrow morning we are officially in a Red Flag Warning as per The South Carolina Forestry Commission

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

04/05/2026

Saturday, April 4 concluded our 10 week long Firefighter 1 course with 8 students from C&B Fire Department, Caromi Fire Department, Dorchester County Fire Rescue and Pimlico Fire Department, who successfully completed their live fire training at the Berkeley County Emergency Services Training Center.
Throughout the course, the students showed dedication and strong team work to successfully learn and perform the necessary tasks every week.
We even had a special visit from the Berkeley High School Fire Program with their Firefighter 1 students participating in a skills days at Headquarters.
Thank you to our Training Division and instructors for putting in hundreds of hours to lead these students to a successful completion.
We also want to show our appreciation to Central Berkeley FD and the Town of Moncks Corner FD for coverage during our live fire training days, as well as Caromi FD and North Berkeley FD for instructors and apparatus.

04/02/2026

It is with GREAT honor to announce that we have obtained for a second year in a row the designation of Fire Safe Community. We wouldn’t have done this without our outstanding and hard work by our Community Outreach team and our Chief Fire Marshal!! As always Pimlico Fire Department is proud to serve our community and our surrounding communities.

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

03/29/2026

Even though the ban is being lifted, please be vigilant when burning since most of the state is still dealing with drought conditions.

SC Forestry Commission to lift statewide burning ban

COLUMBIA—The South Carolina Forestry Commission will lift the statewide burning ban at 7 a.m. Monday, March 30.

The extremely low relative humidities and gusty winds that prompted the March 27 ban have subsided, although elevated drought conditions over much of the state warrant the need to be extremely vigilant when burning outdoors.

While rain chances increase later this week, it is not expected to be enough to improve the drought status significantly. Above-average fire danger and activity is still expected through April, which has historically seen the most damaging and costliest wildfires in South Carolina. Anyone who burns outdoors and allows their fire(s) to escape will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

“Just because the burning ban is being lifted, it does not mean the fire danger is gone. Most of the state is still very dry, and the risk of fires igniting easily remains. Anyone who has conducted a burn recently should continue to monitor it closely because of the potential for it to reignite,” said SCFC Fire Chief Darryl Jones. “If you choose to burn outdoors, you should be extremely careful and take all necessary precautions. Any fire you start is your responsibility even if it rekindles and spreads days later.”

Citizens who may plan to conduct outdoor burning of residential yard debris or prescribed burns must still notify the Forestry Commission before doing so.

Residential yard debris burning
State law requires citizens who live in unincorporated areas to notify the Forestry Commission before burning outdoors. In most cases, the law applies to burning leaves, limbs and branches that people clean up from their yards. Citizens who do live in city/town limits must still abide by any burning ordinances in their local jurisdictions.
Citizens can make notification online by visiting scfc.gov/notify or by calling the toll-free notification number for the county in which they live, found here: scfc.gov/protection/fire-burning/how-to-notify/.

Prescribed burning
State law requires that you notify the Forestry Commission before burning for forestry, wildlife management or agricultural purposes. This includes burning for wildfire hazard reduction, brush control, endangered species management, wildlife habitat improvement, plant disease control, crop residue removal and preparation of land for planting trees or agricultural crops. All burning for forestry, wildlife and agriculture must comply with SC Smoke Management Guidelines.
To make notification, regardless of county, please call (800) 777-3473.

Read the full release:https://www.scfc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Advisory-BurningBanLifted-20260330.pdf