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SCDNR issues burning ban in Jocassee GorgesNovember 9, 2016

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources has issued a burning ban on the 33,000-acre Jocassee Gorges area in northern Pickens and Oconee counties due to extremely dry conditions.

Firefighters from the S.C. Forestry Commission and other organizations head to Pinnacle Mountain in northern Pickens County on Wednesday, Nov. 9 to battle a wildfire near Drawbar Cliffs. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources has issued a burning ban on Jocassee Gorges lands due to dry conditions and the dangers of wildfire. (SCDNR Photo by Greg Lucas)

Firefighters from the S.C. Forestry Commission and other organizations head to Pinnacle Mountain in northern Pickens County on Wednesday, Nov. 9 to battle a wildfire near Drawbar Cliffs. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources has issued a burning ban on Jocassee Gorges lands due to dry conditions and the dangers of wildfire. (SCDNR Photo by Greg Lucas)

Firefighters from the S.C. Forestry Commission, area volunteer fire departments and the Clemson Experimental Forest were dealing Wednesday with a wildfire on Pinnacle Mountain near Table Rock State Park in northern Pickens County. 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).

Burning, including campfires, will not be allowed on any Jocassee Gorges lands until further notice.

The S.C. Forestry Commission has issued a State Forester's Burning Ban, effective immediately, for five Upstate counties: Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens and Spartanburg.

State Forester Gene Kodama enacted the ban today (Wednesday, Nov. 9) because of weather conditions in the Upstate that present an elevated risk of wildfire. Forecasts for the aforementioned 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

by Greg Lucas
Media Relations Coordinator - Upstate
Office of Media & Outreach

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