South Carolina wildfires force residents to flee homes as blazes erupt along Eastern Seaboard
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency on Sunday in response to the wildfires burning across the state. The South Carolina Forestry Commission issued a statewide burning ban for all counties, which prohibits all outdoor burnings, including yard debris burning, prescribed burning and campfires.
Dangerous wildfires erupt across Carolinas
Focus remains Monday on the developing wildfire situation in the Carolinas, where a surge of fires has erupted across the Southeast.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Multiple wildfires erupted along the East Coast over the weekend, forcing evacuations and prompting widespread firefighting efforts. Fires have been reported from the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey shore to the Carolinas and Georgia.
The FOX Forecast Center warned that the combination of low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation increased the danger of fires spreading out of control. Relative humidity values were reported to be between 15% and 30%, while wind gusts of up to 40 mph allowed the fires to grow quickly.
Some of the larger wildfires were reported in areas such as Mott State Park in New Jersey, Polk County in western North Carolina and Horry County in South Carolina.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency on Sunday in response to the wildfires burning across the state.
Horry County fire officials ordered evacuations in the Carolina Forest area due to rapidly spreading wildfires. Residents were directed to seek safety at the Carolina Forest Recreation Center, and the South Carolina National Guard dispatched Blackhawk helicopters to combat the blazes.
As of Sunday, officials said the incident response involved about 410 personnel manning, among other vehicles, at least 127 fire apparatus.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission reports that while the Blackthorn Drive Fire (800 acres) is contained, the larger Covington Drive Fire (1,600 acres) in Horry County is 30% contained. So far, no injuries have been reported.
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Smoke fills South Carolina neighborhood as crews work to fight wildfires
Two wildfires are raging in Horry County, putting several structures at risk and prompting evacuations. No one has been injured and no structures have been burned in the fires, officials said.
Evacuation notices were issued where homes were close to flames, such as in the Grand Strand of South Carolina and the western region of North Carolina, including the community of Tryon, North Carolina. As of Sunday, local authorities had not reported any destroyed homes from the fires.
Several of the wildfires occurred in areas where the remnants of Hurricane Helene had knocked over trees and other vegetation, causing increased concerns for erratic fires.
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Watch: Wildfire rages in Carolina Forest, South Carolina
This video shared from South Carolina shows smoke from a wildfire filling the sky as the blaze rages in Carolina Forest on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
By Monday, winds are expected to taper off, providing temporary relief before another frontal boundary works its way into the region during the middle part of the workweek.
The next system is expected to arrive on Wednesday and bring much-needed precipitation to an area that has been plagued by a lack of rainfall for months.