Wildfires continue to burn in North and South Carolina, prompting evacuations and a state of emergency

The National Weather Service issued “increased fire danger” alerts for North and South Carolina on Tuesday as firefighter crews continued to battle more than 170 wildfires across both states since last weekend. The fires have prompted evacuations in certain areas and a state of emergency declaration.

The largest fire stretched across over 2,000 acres in Horry County, S.C., the fourth most populated area in the state, and threatened the nearby Carolina Forest, a community near Myrtle Beach. Residents were told they could return home on Sunday after the South Carolina Forestry Commission announced the fire was about 30% contained.

A combination of dry fuels, limited rainfall and low humidity in the Carolina areas are being blamed for the fires, the U.S. Forest Service said. The National Weather Service issued a warning on Saturday of “elevated” fire weather throughout the Southeast due to critically low relative humidity and dry fuels, meaning low moisture in vegetation and plants, which helps spread wildfires.

As firefighters continue to battle and contain the fires across the two states, no injuries have been reported and no buildings have been lost in the fires, Horry County officials said.

While some evacuation orders have been lifted in affected communities, residents are still being warned about poor driving and air quality conditions due to the heavy smoke.

Where things stand in South Carolina

Severe thunderstorms are expected to hit South Carolina on Wednesday morning through the early afternoon, potentially increasing wind gusts and causing tornadoes, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division reported.

The biggest wildfire in South Carolina, located near Myrtle Beach, started behind someone's house on Saturday afternoon, Horry County officials said. The South Carolina Forestry Commission said in a Facebook post that while an investigation was still underway, the fire is “believed to be human-caused,” but not by a “prescribed burn” or a controlled burn to manage decaying vegetation.

The fire is still 30% contained and has covered over 2,000 acres as of Tuesday afternoon. Officials said they would investigate what started the blaze after the fire was contained.

"It's not uncommon for a fire of this size to take many days to suppress," South Carolina Forestry Commission spokesperson Doug Wood told Newsweek. "The spread depends completely on the direction of the winds. Embers can travel up to a mile, so it's entirely possible the fire can jump the lines."

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on Sunday and issued a statewide burn ban in response to the wildfires affecting thousands of acres across the state. The ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning and campfires.

“This State of Emergency ensures that our first responders, who are working tirelessly and risking their lives to protect our communities from these wildfires, have the resources they need,” McMaster said in a statement. “Dangerous wildfire conditions require that a statewide burning ban remain in effect until further notice. Those who violate this ban will be subject to criminal prosecution.”

The South Carolina National Guard shared photos of troops pouring over 1,000 gallons of water onto the fires in Horry County.

While schools across the county are operating on a regular Monday schedule, some adjustments will be made based on the weather and air quality caused by the fires, Myrtle Beach news outlet WBTW reported.

Where things stand in North Carolina

All wildfires were reported to be contained in some capacity, the U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday afternoon. However, the state is expecting isolated flash flooding Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

Emergency officials said 15 structures had been damaged by the fires in Robseon County, which experienced nearly 80 fires since Saturday.

A brush fire in the Blue Ridge Mountains area was threatening some small communities about 40 miles south of Asheville and had burned around 500 acres. Around 30% of the fire was contained by late Sunday evening, according to Polk County Emergency Management.

One of the largest fires was at Uwharrie National Forest, about 50 miles east of Charlotte. The Forest Service reported Sunday night that it was roughly 30% contained and had burned over 410 acres after beginning sometime Saturday afternoon.

Evacuations were ordered in some communities like Tyron and Saluda on Saturday and are still in place. Saluda Fire and Rescue reported that a downed power line was responsible for the fire that caused these specific evacuations.

Is it normal for the Carolinas to experience this many wildfires?

Weather Channel meteorologist Robb Ellis said that these wildfires are not a rare occurrence in the Carolinas.

“Wildfires are not only common in parts of the Carolinas, but are part of the natural ecosystem of the area, especially in the Sandhills and Coastal Plain,” Ellis said. “Pine forests regularly rely on wildfire for the release of seeds from pine cones and to clear vegetation for new growth."

South Carolina also had unusually low rainfall in certain areas throughout February, and the vegetation is dry, which helps spread the fires.

What’s predicted for the rest of the week

Forecasters warned Monday morning that fire danger could continue throughout the Carolinas for the next few days if dry weather conditions continue.

“Fires on the National Forests in North Carolina have crews increasing containment and are not expected to experience any significant growth, especially as weather less beneficial to fire spread moves into the area Tuesday night,” the Forest Service wrote on Facebook Monday morning. “The combination of dry fuels, limited rainfall, and very low humidity will lead to an elevated risk of adverse fire behavior today.”

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services also flagged on X that dry conditions and wind increase the risk of wildfires.