SC H4539

Increases penalties for burning lands of another without consent: first offense up to $2,000 fine and 2 years imprisonment; second offense up to $5,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment; third or subsequent offense becomes a felony with minimum $10,000 fine and up to 20 years imprisonment

Raises penalties for willfully and maliciously setting fire to another's property from a maximum 5-year sentence to up to 20 years imprisonment with a minimum $5,000 fine

Creates tiered penalties for negligently allowing fire to spread to another's property, escalating from misdemeanor (first/second offense) to felony (third or subsequent offense) with fines ranging from $500 to $10,000 and imprisonment up to 20 years

Suspends exemptions for cooking fires, portable fireplaces, and fire pits during Governor-declared forest fire emergencies or State Forester prohibition periods

Requires convicted offenders to pay court costs and attorney's fees to victims, and allows judges to order first-time offenders to attend counseling and an 8-hour fire education course in lieu of imprisonment