Nearly a half-dozen wind-whipped wildfires forced evacuation orders in the Carolinas over the weekend and destroyed several homes.
The fires, which had torn across more than 6,000 acres by Monday morning, were fueled by low relative humidity, gusty winds, and dry fuels. The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning in North Carolina on Saturday. Residents in South Carolina were warned of enhanced fire danger.
“Critically dry conditions, combined with westerly winds of 10 to 20 mph and gusts up to 25 mph, will lead to relative humidity values dropping as low as 20 to 30 percent. Exercise caution and stay alert!” forecasters in Charleston said.
While no injuries or deaths have been reported due to the fires, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency, and North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a grant to help with the state’s response.
In Stein’s state, three fires were burning in Polk County, where people were under mandatory evacuation orders. The area, which is home to approximately 20,000 North Carolinians, was impacted by debris leftover by Hurricane Helene last year.
Polk County spokesperson Kellie Cannon said four homes were lost and 100 residences have been evacuated, according to CNN.
“Visibility in area will be reduced, and roads/evacuation routes can become blocked; if you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured, or killed,” the North Carolina Department of Public Safety wrote in a post on X.
The county’s Deep Woods fire was the largest, spreading over 2,545 acres of state and private land. The Black Cove fire, which was last mapped at 2,076 acres, started last Wednesday, as well.
The Fish Hook Fire, the third fire in the Black Cove Complex, started last Thursday and was just under 200 acres. However, it is 50 percent contained and forward progress had been stopped. The other blazes are zero percent contained.
The cause of both the Fish Hook and Black Cove fires was a downed power line, according to WYFF. The cause of the Deep Woods fire remains under investigation.
“Firefighting has been hampered by the steep terrain of the Green River Gorge where both the Black Cove and Deep Woods fires started. Another challenge has been the dry, warm and windy conditions that have prevailed across the mountains,” the North Carolina Forest Service explained.
On Saturday, the County received a “red” air quality alert, and officials instructed residents not to go outside for a prolonged period.
In South Carolina, where the National Guard was deployed, the human-caused Table Rock fire burned more than 1,058 acres. The fire ignited on Friday.
“Residents may notice an increase in fire behavior. Engine and brush truck crews are staged to protect property in the area,” Pickens County wrote in a post on Facebook, noting that crews had made “good progress” over the weekend.
