SC wildfires prompt bill increasing penalties on people who cause them
Smoke from the Table Rock wildfire in northern Pickens County obscures the sun on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Photo by Mark Susko/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)
COLUMBIA— Following wildfires that scorched more than 18,000 acres in South Carolina, legislators are considering increasing penalties for the people who carelessly put lives and property at risk.
The lead sponsor of a bill discussed Wednesday said he hopes the threat of higher fines and jail time cause people to think before negligently starting a blaze.
'We're doing all we can to prevent these types of fires,' Rep. Tim McGinnis, R-Myrtle Beach, told a House subcommittee considering the bill. It was the first hearing on a bill he introduced March 27 with 26 co-sponsors.
'Much like you think twice before you have a few drinks and get behind an automobile, I want you to think twice before you burn,' he said.
No injuries or damage to structures as SC wildfires expand past 10,000 acres
It's a danger that hits close to home for him: McGinnis noted he could smell the smoke from the Carolina Forest fire that spread to more than 2,000 acres the first weekend of March.
It's still not completely out. As of Tuesday, that fire was 90% contained, according to the state Forestry Commission. The agency declared wildfires in Pickens and Greenville counties 100% contained, thanks to significant rainfall Monday in the Upstate.
They were the largest of 395 wildfires statewide last month that burned a total of 23,525 acres, according to the commission.
There have been no reports of injuries or significant property loss from any of them.
But they still endangered the lives of residents and the firefighters working to put them out. Plus, the fires prompted evacuations, required the help of paid and volunteer firefighters statewide, and cost millions to control, legislators said.
Yet, the people who carelessly start such disasters are hardly punished. The penalty needs to be more of a deterrent, McGinnis said.
Under the changes discussed Wednesday, the maximum penalty for people who carelessly or negligently set a fire that spreads would increase from 30 days to one year in jail on first offense. They could also be fined up to $5,000, up from just $200.
If they do it again, their penalties would increase to up to three years of imprisonment and a $25,000 fine.
Rep. Jeff Johnson, the subcommittee chairman, said he's 'a big proponent of doing something that makes' those responsible for causing wildfires more accountable.
Johnson, a Conway Republican, called it a 'great bill.' But he wanted more time to look over the proposed amendment before his subcommittee took a vote.
According to the Forestry Commission, at least two of last month's largest wildfires were started by human carelessness.
For the Carolina Forest fire, a 40-year-old Myrtle Beach woman was arrested March 6 and accused of 'not taking the proper precautions' to prevent flames from spreading from her fire pit. Her attorney is seeking a dismissal, saying she's being scapegoated.
The Table Rock blaze in Pickens County started March 21 from four teenagers, including a juvenile under 18 years old, who failed to properly put out cigarettes. All four face a negligence charge, according to the commission.
That fire grew to 13,845 acres — jumping the North Carolina border — making it the largest recorded mountain fire in state history. About 1,400 homes were evacuated as a result of it.
An investigation continues into the Persimmon Ridge fire in Greenville County, which burned more than 2,100 acres, Justin Holt, a Forestry Commission spokesman, told the SC Daily Gazette.
Combatting last month's three largest wildfires cost the Forestry Commission alone more than $10 million, not including aid from dozens of other state and local agencies, he said.
Scott Phillips, the commission's head forester, supported the bill, saying the agency 'generally supports increases in penalties for wildfire related criminal charges.'
House Majority Leader Davey Hiott also supported increasing the penalties.
The Pickens Republican said he could see flames from the Table Rock fire from his front porch.
'You read about these things. You see these things on TV. You never think they are going to hit home as close as this one did,' Hiott said.
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