Horry County is looking at an ordinance that calls to permanently ban all open burning in certain parts of the county.
Right now, temporary burn bans are enforced only when the South Carolina Forestry Commission puts out a red flag fire alert.
But the new ordinance, which public safety committee members discussed Monday, could change that.
The ordinance would ban open burns in the unincorporated county east of the Intracoastal Waterway from the North/South Carolina border to the Georgetown County line.
Jerri Gingrich, who lives in the Burgess community, told the public safety committee that people burning trash near her home has been a problem for her since she moved there almost a decade ago.
“I sometimes will tie a bandana around my face when somebody is burning,” she said. “Because it’s bad.”
Some county council members said it is not just a nuisance but a matter of safety. In 2009, wildfires destroyed almost 100 homes and damaged nearly 100 more. Those fires were a result of yard debris burning that got out of hand.
“This is a part of county council’s obligations and stuff to make sure we provide a good public safety environment for the citizens here,” Councilman Al Allen said.
Exceptions would include farmers or developers who are allowed by state law to burn on-site vegetation. The ban also would not apply to enclosed fires, like outdoor fire places, grills and fire pits.
“We are the fastest growing urbanized area on the east coast,” Allen said. “But we also have a large agricultural area west of the Intracoastal.”
Allen said the county provides recycling and waste management alternatives, so items do not have to be burned.
The ordinance will come back to public safety at their next meeting with a few revisions and is then expected to send to the full council. There it would have to pass three readings to become law.
