Firefighters attend to a flare-up in the Carolina Forest neighborhood in Myrtyle Beach, South Carolina. Multiple forest fires in the area have caused evacuations along the South Carolina Coast
USA TODAY | Published March 3, 2025
Firefighters in the Carolinas made gains against blazes that erupted over the weekend as weather officials on Monday warned of “extremely critical fire conditions” in the central U.S.
Over 175 wind-fueled brush fires broke out in the Carolinas beginning Saturday, burning over 6.5 square miles of land and prompting authorities to evacuate residents and open emergency shelters. By Sunday night, fire officials announced they had gained momentum in extinguishing the blazes as winds slowed.
The largest of the blazes, the Covington Lane Fire, torched 1,600 acres in Carolina Forest, South Carolina, a small community west of Myrtle Beach. The fire department in Horry County announced Sunday that residents who were evacuated in over a half dozen neighborhoods were being allowed back into their homes. The fire was 30% contained as of Sunday night.
Flag flag warnings active across central US
As fire officials grappled with the remaining blazes in the Carolinas, forecasters warned about high winds, low humidity and dry conditions that could quickly spread wildfires throughout the southern Plains, including southeastern Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas and Kansas.
The National Weather Service said wind gusts could reach up to 60 mph in Texas, where some areas in the south are seeing dryness more comparable to the summer’s peak fire season than early March. Winds of 20 to 40 mph were expected across much of the region.
“Wildfire risk is very much present on Monday and again on Tuesday though winds will be a bit lighter,” the weather service office in El Paso said. “Strong winds expected again next Thursday/Friday will additional fire headlines possible.”
Wildfire smoke near Myrtle Beach causes ‘difficult travel conditions’
The Horry County Fire Rescue said in a statement Monday that the wildfire burning in Carolina Forest is producing a “heavy, low-hanging smoke” that’s blanketing the area.
“This will limit some visibility for motorists and residents,” the department said in a statement, urging people not to drive near the fire because of low visibility and ongoing firefighting efforts.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington also warned about the heavy smoke, writing, “Smoke will lead to slow and difficult travel in the Myrtle Beach area this morning. Slow down and allow plenty of distance between you and the car in front of you!”
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SOURCE: www.usatoday.com
RELATED: Wildfires across the Carolinas prompt evacuations as the region faces more dry conditions Sunday
CNN | Published March 3, 2025
Firefighters are working against dry, windy conditions Sunday as they battle wildfires scorching parts of the Carolinas.
The Carolina Forest Fire, about five miles north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is estimated to be 1,600 acres and 30% contained, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said Sunday. Residents who had evacuated were allowed to re-enter the neighborhood as of Sunday evening.
A smaller fire nearby on Blackthorn Drive was around 80% contained as of around 3 p.m. ET Sunday, the South Carolina Forestry Commission told CNN.
Officials issued a statewide burn ban Saturday as dozens of wildfires flared across the state – many of which have since been contained.
The fire threat continues for the region Sunday, including near Wilmington, North Carolina, and Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, the National Weather Service warned.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Sunday to support wildfire efforts across the state.
The governor’s office said more than 175 wildfires were burning across 4,200 acres across the state, citing information from the state fire marshal.
In western North Carolina, near the towns of Tryon and Saluda, a brush fire caused by a power line that fell along US Highway 176 Saturday afternoon spread quickly up a nearby mountain and threatened several structures, Saluda Fire and Rescue said in a post that night.
By Sunday evening, the fire had burned over 500 acres and was 30% contained, according to Polk County Emergency Management. Several fire departments were responding to the blaze, Polk County officials said.
Some residents near the highway were ordered to evacuate Saturday afternoon by Tryon authorities.
“Residents can expect a heavy fire department presence in the Bear Creek, Hanging Rock, Rhododendron Dr., Oceanview Dr., and Meadow Lark Dr. areas as crews work to protect homes and reduce fire fuels,” Saluda Fire and Rescue said.
A passenger aboard a flight into Myrtle Beach on Saturday night captured video of a mass of smoke and fire billowing up into the sky from the plane window.
“It was quite terrifying to fly home to,” the passenger, Becca Ann, told CNN.
Tryon and Saluda are just north of the North Carolina-South Carolina border, around 25 miles southeast of Asheville, North Carolina.
Fire crews were sent to contain a large wooded fire near Myrtle Beach Saturday night, fire officials said, while residents in several homes in the nearby Carolina Forest area were ordered to evacuate.
Despite weaker winds and cooler temperatures Sunday, dry air combined with dry vegetation due to lack of recent rainfall are keeping the wildfire danger high across the Carolinas and northeast Georgia.
Winds in the area are expected to significantly diminish overnight, and temperatures will approach freezing by Monday morning.
Lighter winds will continue through Tuesday as temperatures warm to close to 60 degrees and more humid air returns to the region.
Typically, South Carolina faces around 5,000 wildfires a year, burning almost 30,000 acres, according to the state Emergency Management Division. Similarly, North Carolina saw 4,588 wildfires in 2024, which burned over 15,000 acres.
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SOURCE: www.cnn.com
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