Firefighters in the Carolinas battle multiple wildfires as New Jersey crews contain a forest blaze

Associated Press

24-03-2025

Firefighters in North and South Carolina were battling multiple wind-driven wildfires Monday in rugged terrain that complicated containment efforts, officials said. Hundreds of miles north, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service was battling a blaze in the Wharton State Forest.
Mandatory evacuations were announced over the weekend in parts of Polk County in western North Carolina about 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Charlotte. The orders were still in place Monday morning for the 165 properties, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon.
Three fires burned at least 7.5 square miles (19.5 square kilometers) in the county and the two larger blazes are completely uncontained, Cannon said in a social media update Monday morning. The Black Cove Fire, one of the larger ones, was moving toward neighboring Henderson County, Cannon said. Officials there recommended voluntary evacuations in some areas on Sunday night.
A downed power line sparked the Black Cove Fire, but the causes of the other two fires in Polk County were under investigation, according to North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop.
The state Department of Environmental Quality issued air quality warnings in Polk, Rutherford, Henderson and Transylvania counties due to smoke.
The North Carolina Forest Service was responding to wildfires across the state, with the most severe activity in western North Carolina and especially in Polk County, according to agency spokesperson Philip Jackson.
'We're seeing several wildfires across the state at this time, which is why it is absolutely paramount that folks respect the statewide ban on all open burning,' he said.
A statewide outdoor burning ban was issued in South Carolina, too. Much of the Carolinas are abnormally dry or experiencing moderate drought.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Saturday as crews in Pickens County fought the Table Rock Fire in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Winds and difficult mountainous terrain allowed that blaze and the Persimmon Ridge Fire in Greenville County to grow significantly on Sunday, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission.
The Table Rock Fire had expanded to more than 2 square miles (5.3 square kilometers) by Sunday evening, including several hundred acres that firefighters intentionally burned to reduce the possibility of the area burning out of control, the commission said. The Persimmon Ridge Fire, which started Saturday, spread to more than 1.25 square miles (3.2 square kilometers) despite many dozens of water drops, the commission said.
Human activity ignited both the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires, and both were uncontained Sunday evening. No injuries had been reported, and while no structures were imminently threatened, voluntary evacuations of about 100 homes remained in place on Sunday. A message was left Monday seeking updated information.
A forest fire burning in New Jersey's million-acre Pinelands region was 100% contained on Monday morning, the New Jersey Forest Fire Services said in a post on X. The fire was first spotted Saturday and burned through about 3.5 square miles (5.8 kilometers).
That blaze led authorities to evacuate two campgrounds in Wharton State Forest, officials said. The cause was under investigation. Forest fires are not uncommon in the area, especially in early spring when the forest canopy hasn't yet filled in and timber and brush can dry out in the sun.