High Winds Ignite Wildfires Across the Carolinas

It was a fiery weekend across the Carolinas as dozens of wildfires ignited amidst dry conditions and gusty winds. Here is a look at the latest details on the wildfire situation in this part of the Southeast.

Fires Force Evacuations in the Carolinas

According to the Monday update by state officials, there are at least 163 wildfires burning across over 5,400 acres in South Carolina. The fire activity began on Saturday as high winds whipped over the dry vegetation. This corner of the nation has been grappling with increasing drought conditions lately, raising the risk of wildfire danger.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on Sunday in order to free up resources to battle the flames. The National Weather Service (NWS) had warned of the threat of fire danger as humidity levels began to plummet heading into the weekend.

While conditions began to improve on Monday, crews still have an uphill battle in getting the fires under control. The Carolina Forest Fire has scorched over 1,600 acres and was just 30% contained as of the last update from the South Carolina Forestry Commission. This fire is located about five miles north of the popular tourist town of Myrtle Beach.

Residents near the fire were ordered to evacuate earlier in the weekend but have been allowed to return home since that time. Authorities said late Sunday that there had been no structures lost to that blaze thus far. Fortunately, there have also not been any reports of serious injuries.