Multiple wildfires have burned thousands of acres in North Carolina and South Carolina, prompting evacuation orders as dry conditions and strong winds are causing the blazes to spread rapidly in areas that were decimated by Hurricane Helene last year.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety issued a mandatory evacuation order on Saturday night for parts of Polk County, N.C., warning that visibility in areas would be reduced and evacuation routes could become blocked.
"If you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured, or killed," the department said in a post on X.
Additional mandatory evacuations were ordered on Sunday evening.
Where the wildfires are burning
In North Carolina, there were three major fires in Polk County, N.C. as of Sunday night, according to the state's forestry service:
The Black Cove Fire, near Saluda, N.C., has burned more than 2,000 acres and is 0% contained.
The Deep Woods Fire, near Columbus, N.C., has burned more than 2,500 acres and is also uncontained.
The Fish Hook Fire, near Lake Adger, N.C., has burned 199 acres and is 50% contained.
Nearly 250 firefighting personnel were working to contain the three wildfires, the forestry service said.
At least four homes have been destroyed by the wildfires, but there have been no reports of injuries.
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Air Quality also issued a Code Red air quality alert due to dense smoke in Polk County.
“Code Red means prolonged exposure to the air may be unhealthy for anyone,” the department warned.
In South Carolina, there were two major wildfires as of Sunday night, according to the state's forestry commission:
The Table Rock Fire, in Pickens County, S.C., has burned more than 1,300 acres and is 0% contained.
The Persimmon Ridge Fire, in Greenville County, S.C., has burned more than 800 acres and is 0% contained.
The Table Rock fire prompted voluntary evacuations for about 100 homes, officials said.
South Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency to “mobilize resources quickly and ensure our firefighters have the support they need to protect lives and property.”
Debris from Helene fueling the fires
It's the second wildfire outbreak to impact the Carolinas in recent weeks. Earlier this month, there were more than 170 wildfires burning across both states.
Strong winds, abnormally dry conditions and downed trees left by Helene are fueling the fires.
"In my 20-year career, this is the most fuel I've seen on the ground," North Carolina Forest Service spokesman Jeremy Waldrop told WLOS-TV in Asheville.
Both South and North Carolina had already issued statewide burn bans due to hazardous forest fire conditions.
There was, however, some relief for firefighting efforts in the forecast. Rain showers and higher humidity levels were expected late Sunday into Monday as a cold front moved across the region, according to the National Weather Service.
But behind the front, more dry weather was expected throughout the rest of the week.
