South Carolina wildfires force residents to flee homes as blazes erupt along Eastern Seaboard

Multiple wildfires erupted along the East Coast over the weekend, forcing evacuations and prompting widespread firefighting efforts.

Fires have been reported from the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey shore to the Carolinas and Georgia. 

Some of the larger wildfires were reported in areas such as Mott State Park in New Jersey, Polk County in western North Carolina and Horry County in South Carolina.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency on Sunday in response to the wildfires burning across the state.

An Air Quality Alert was put into place for Horry County on Monday until further notice due to fine particulates in the air from the wildfire ash and smoke. 

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services recommends that anyone with respiratory health problems stay indoors and limit exposure to smoke. 

Horry County fire officials advised residents of thick smoke that is likely to severely limit visibility on roads around Horry County from Monday night into Tuesday morning. 

The agency asked residents to stay off the roads whenever possible during that time. 

“The fewer vehicles on the road, especially when emergency apparatus are responding to the Carolina Forest-area wildfire incident and other emergency calls, the safer everyone is,” they said in a Facebook post. 

The FOX Forecast Center warned that the combination of low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation increased the danger of fires spreading out of control. 

Relative humidity values were reported to be between 15% and 30%, while wind gusts of up to 40 mph allowed the fires to grow quickly.

Horry County fire officials ordered evacuations in the Carolina Forest area due to rapidly spreading wildfires.

Residents were directed to seek safety at the Carolina Forest Recreation Center, and the South Carolina National Guard dispatched Blackhawk helicopters to combat the blazes.

The South Carolina Forestry Commission reports that while the Blackthorn Drive Fire (800 acres) is contained, the larger Covington Drive Fire (1,600 acres) in Horry County is 30% contained. So far, no injuries have been reported.

Evacuation notices were issued where homes were close to flames, such as in the Grand Strand of South Carolina and the western region of North Carolina, including the community of Tryon, North Carolina.

As of Sunday, local authorities had not reported any destroyed homes from the fires.

Several of the wildfires occurred in areas where the remnants of Hurricane Helene had knocked over trees and other vegetation, causing increased concerns for erratic fires.

Winds are expected to taper off on Monday, providing temporary relief before another frontal boundary works its way into the region during the middle part of the workweek.  

The next system is expected to arrive on Wednesday and bring much-needed precipitation to an area that has been plagued by a lack of rainfall for months.

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Stephen Collopy

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