By Jennifer Whittaker
I definitely wasn’t being careless.
The county burn ban had been lifted. I called the required number for a burn notification permit through the South Carolina Forestry Commission. I had tools nearby — a shovel, rake, and hoe. I had water hoses and sprinklers running. The visible flames were gone, and only a smolder remained.
I genuinely believed I was being responsible.
What I did NOT understand was that fire can continue traveling underground long after flames disappear from the surface.
What started as a yard debris burn ultimately spread beneath the ground through hidden root systems and ignited my covered fifth wheel camper. Ironically, the first thing to catch fire was not the camper itself, but the wheel covers attached to it. The fire had traveled 25 yards away, where I couldn’t see it.
Until this happened to me, I had no idea underground fire spread was even possible.
In rural areas like Kershaw County, dry roots, buried organic material, pine straw, and old stump systems can allow heat and embers to move underground for surprising distances. A fire can appear controlled on the surface while still smoldering underneath.
In hindsight, it explains something many of us have seen during forest fires: firefighters cutting wide lines down to bare dirt. Those fire lines are not just to stop visible flames. They also break the chain of combustible material underground — roots, leaves, and organic matter that can continue carrying fire beneath the surface.
I am sharing this because I suspect many people don’t know this risk even exists.
This was not a situation where someone ignored a burn ban or walked away from an active blaze. I stayed with it. I monitored it. I had tools and water ready. But underground fire spread is deceptive, and once roots ignite beneath the surface, the fire can move silently until it surfaces somewhere unexpected.
I also want to publicly thank Fire Chief Chris Spitzer and the Lugoff Fire Department along with the other county departments and emergency personnel who responded through mutual aid agreements. Watching multiple agencies work together so quickly and professionally during an emergency was something I will never forget.
For anyone planning to burn yard debris, the legal notification number for outdoor debris burning in Kershaw County is: 1-800-705-8609
Notifying the Forestry Commission is required for burning yard debris outside city limits, even when burn bans are not in effect.
I hope sharing this experience helps someone else avoid the loss, stress, and danger that can come from a fire you think is under control.
Because sometimes the most dangerous part of a fire is the part you can’t see.
#RIPbigbougie
