Wildfires erupt along Eastern Seaboard as weekend dominated by dry, windy weather

Yahoo

02-03-2025

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – A dry, windy day across the Eastern Seaboard sparked dozens of pop-up wildfires from the Delmarva Peninsula and Jersey Shore southward to the Carolinas and Georgia, as more than 45 million residents were under Red Flag Warnings due to the conditions.
The FOX Forecast Center warned that the combination of low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, led to increased dangers of fires quickly growing out of control.
Relative humidity values were reported to be between 15% and 30% on Saturday, while wind gusts were upwards of 40 mph, which caused the fires to quickly grow.
Firefighters warned that the conditions were a perfect recipe for wildfires to ignite, with sparks from cars and campfires capable of growing into towering infernos.
Some of the largest fires were reported to be around areas such Mott State Park in New Jersey, Horry County in South Carolina and Polk County in western North Carolina.
Where homes were close to flames, such as in the Grand Strand and the western region of Tar Heel State, evacuation notices were issued, but as of Saturday evening, local authorities had not reported that any of the fires had destroyed homes.
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.
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The fire weather conditions were produced by the flow ahead of a strong cold front, which was expected to push through the region during the overnight hours.
Behind the frontal boundary, temperatures were expected to drop by 20 to 30 degrees and winds were expected to turn more out of the north and northwest.
GOES satellite imagery on Saturday showed smoke plumes ahead of the advancing frontal boundary, but the cold front was not expected to increase precipitation.
The dry air mass ahead of the front will continue to linger behind the boundary, leaving firefighters with little moisture to work with in their battle against the fires.
By Monday, winds were expected to taper off, 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.
Forecast models show upwards of an inch of rainfall is possible with locally heavier amounts in thunderstorms.
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According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, drought conditions stretch from Florida and Georgia into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with parts of the Garden State even experiencing extreme drought conditions.
The lack of rainfall has made the landscape more susceptible to brush fires, and authorities warn that the dry conditions will likely continue to pose a threat through spring until more substantial beneficial rains arrive later in the year.Original article source: Wildfires erupt along Eastern Seaboard as weekend dominated by dry, windy weather