Latest news with #SouthCarolinaNationalGuard
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
South Carolina officials warn about fire season as state battles multiple blazes
The aftereffects of Hurricane Helene are still being felt in South Carolina as downed trees and vegetation fuel wildfires in the state, officials said in a news briefing on Friday. There are currently three large fires burning in South Carolina: the Table Rock Fire, the Persimmon Ridge Fire and the Covington Drive Fire near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Forestry Commission state forester Scott Phillips said during the briefing. A burn ban is in effect in the state. The Table Rock Fire and the Persimmon Ridge Fire, referred to collectively as the Table Rock Complex, have burned a combined 10,672 acres and are 0% contained, Phillips said. The Covington Drive Fire is "still very active" but is 85% contained after burning just over 2,050 acres, Phillips said. Neither fire has burned any structures, and no fatalities have been reported, Phillips said. The South Carolina National Guard has been deployed to fight the Table Rock fires, Brigadier General Rob Stillwell said in the news briefing, and is using aviation assets to respond to the blazes. The National Guard has dropped 612,000 gallons of water across 557 water drop missions, Stillwell said. Helicopter rescue teams are also ready to "assist any distressed firefighters or citizens in the impacted area," he said. Meanwhile, 550 firefighters and 96 apparatus, including fire engines, brush trucks and special utility vehicles, have been deployed from local agencies, South Carolina State Fire Marshal Jonathan Jones said. An active start to wildfire season March has been an active month for fires in the state, Phillips said. There have been 373 wildfires reported in South Carolina this month. Neighboring North Carolina has recorded over 1,300 fires so far in March, according to the N.C. Forest Service. "We are just at the beginning of our wildfire season here in South Carolina. We're 28 days in, we haven't even made it to April 1 yet," Phillips said. He added that April is when the state typically sees the most wildfires. Weather conditions do not seem to be letting up, Phillips said. The state is currently extremely dry, with low humidity and high winds, he said. Wildfire conditions will remain through April and "potentially into May." "This is going to be a long season for us as we move forward," Phillips said. Hurricane Helene debris fuels flames South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said that the fires have been worsened by the aftereffects of Hurricane Helene, which devastated the region in September 2024. The hurricane and heavy rain knocked down a lot of trees and vegetation, he said. Clearing the fallen brush away has been difficult. The fallen vegetation has become fuel for the blaze, he said. "We've never had a fire quite like this," McMaster said. The effects of Hurricane Helene have also caused access issues in some areas, Phillips said. Some areas that are burning are inaccessible because of downed trees and debris, and some fire breaks that need to be readjusted can't be easily reached. Phillips said that even once this year's fire season settles down, the issues caused by Hurricane Helene will linger. "Likely it's going to change the way we have to attack fires in the mountains of South Carolina and in the Hurricane Helene-impacted areas," he said. Hegseth reacts to Atlantic releasing his Signal texts to Trump team detailing Yemen bombing Hegseth doubles down on Signal chat texts not being "war plans" Deadly earthquakes rock Myanmar, Thailand
CBS News
28-03-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
South Carolina officials warn about fire season as state battles Table Rock wildfire, more blazes
The aftereffects of Hurricane Helene are still being felt in South Carolina as downed trees and vegetation fuel wildfires in the state , officials said in a news briefing on Friday. There are currently three large fires burning in South Carolina: the Table Rock Fire, the Persimmon Ridge Fire and the Covington Drive Fire near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Forestry Commission state forester Scott Phillips said during the briefing. A burn ban is in effect in the state. The Table Rock Fire and the Persimmon Ridge Fire, referred to collectively as the Table Rock Complex, have burned a combined 10,672 acres and are 0% contained, Phillips said. The Covington Drive Fire is "still very active" but is 85% contained after burning just over 2,050 acres, Phillips said. Neither fire has burned any structures, and no fatalities have been reported, Phillips said. The South Carolina National Guard has been deployed to fight the Table Rock fires, Brigadier General Rob Stillwell said in the news briefing, and is using aviation assets to respond to the blazes. The National Guard has dropped 612,000 gallons of water across 557 water drop missions, Stillwell said. Helicopter rescue teams are also ready to "assist any distressed firefighters or citizens in the impacted area," he said. Meanwhile, 550 firefighters and 96 apparatus, including fire engines, brush trucks and special utility vehicles, have been deployed from local agencies, South Carolina State Fire Marshal Jonathan Jones said. March has been an active month for fires in the state, Phillips said. There have been 373 wildfires reported in South Carolina this month. Neighboring North Carolina has recorded over 1,300 fires so far in March, according to the N.C. Forest Service . "We are just at the beginning of our wildfire season here in South Carolina. We're 28 days in, we haven't even made it to April 1 yet," Phillips said. He added that April is when the state typically sees the most wildfires. Weather conditions do not seem to be letting up, Phillips said. The state is currently extremely dry, with low humidity and high winds, he said. Wildfire conditions will remain through April and "potentially into May." "This is going to be a long season for us as we move forward," Phillips said. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said that the fires have been worsened by the aftereffects of Hurricane Helene , which devastated the region in September 2024. The hurricane and heavy rain knocked down a lot of trees and vegetation, he said. Clearing the fallen brush away has been difficult. The fallen vegetation has become fuel for the blaze, he said. "We've never had a fire quite like this," McMaster said. The effects of Hurricane Helene have also caused access issues in some areas, Phillips said. Some areas that are burning are inaccessible because of downed trees and debris, and some fire breaks that need to be readjusted can't be easily reached. Phillips said that even once this year's fire season settles down, the issues caused by Hurricane Helene will linger. "Likely it's going to change the way we have to attack fires in the mountains of South Carolina and in the Hurricane Helene-impacted areas," he said.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Carolinas await rain as firefighters gain upper hand on fires
Firefighters in the Carolinas appeared to be getting the upper hand on a bloom of wildfires that erupted over the weekend, even as a few new ones started amid the region's ongoing dry spell. In hard-hit South Carolina, a 1,600-acre blaze in the Carolina Forest community just outside Myrtle Beach city limits was at least 30% contained, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said in a statement. Imagery from the Myrtle Beach region Monday morning showed a shroud of smoke enveloping parts of the low-lying terrain and creating a wall of low visibility. Horry County Fire Rescue, the fire agency with local jurisdiction, said residents should beware of low visibility caused by smoke through Tuesday morning. State and local firefighters were aided by two Blackhawk helicopters and one Chinook from the South Carolina National Guard, the guard said. The aircraft have dropped an estimated 60,000 gallons of water on the Carolina Forest fire, it said. Residents who evacuated were allowed to return Sunday evening, Horry County Fire Rescue, said in a statement. They had to contend with smoke so thick and dangerous that motorists were advised by the agency to stay off roads in the fire zone. South Carolina Gov. Henry D. McMaster, who declared a fire-related state of emergency on Sunday, counted the state's battle with wildfire as a victory. "The report that I've received so far, there have been no buildings lost and no lives lost," he said. "It was a great performance." The state was also the site of four other active wildfires, two of which started Monday in Williamsburg County, about 50 miles west of Myrtle Beach, according to an email from Doug Wood, spokesperson for the forestry commission. A state summary of fires shows 108 blazes have been reported and 4,357 acres burned in the last seven days. Wood previously said the vast majority of dry weather blazes broke out Saturday, when gusts stronger than 25 mph were reported in the Myrtle Beach area and temperatures reached into the mid-70s, according to National Weather Service data. On Sunday, volunteers gathered at Carolina Forest Community Church, where some firefighters were coordinating their efforts and taking breaks, to grill up hamburgers and hotdogs for the first responders, according to NBC affiliate WMBF of Myrtle Beach. Thomas Garavito and Jillian Patton from Murrells Inlet, a community about 20 miles down the coast, dropped off ready-to-eat fare from Dunkin'. 'I saw this morning that they were doing a good job of keeping the fires away from their homes and, again, I just want to show our gratitude for that," Garavito said. In North Carolina, fires in all four of the state's national forests remained active Monday, with burned areas estimated to total nearly 500 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service. No containment estimate was available, but the service said in a statement Monday that crews were excavating containment lines and using "mechanized equipment to manage heavy fuel loads partly due to Hurricane Helene," which wrought destruction in the Southeast last year as it moved inland to Tennessee and North Carolina, creating catastrophic flooding and killing more than 200 people in its path. Helene's tropical precipitation and destructive winds may have also indirectly aided North Carolina's fifth active fire, burning near the city of Tryon. 'Parts of the wildfire are burning in vegetative debris that resulted from blow down during Hurricane Helene,' Philip Jackson of the North Carolina Forestry Service said by text. The 593-acre blaze was 63% contained, he said near the end of the workday. Evacuations in the area were voluntary. "N.C. Forest Service personnel are working to strengthen and widen containment lines while mopping up in steep mountainous terrain," Jackson said. No injuries or structure loss has been reported, and the fire's cause was under investigation. While such an eruption of fires is rare, Wood, the South Carolina Forestry Commission spokesperson, told NBC affiliate WCBD of Charleston over the weekend that the region is in the midst of peak fire season weather. "It's not unheard of," he said. In Georgia, 10 weekend fires remained active on Monday, with 2,535 acres burned, seven structures and two vehicles damaged and no containment, said Wendy Burnett, spokesperson for the Georgia Forestry Commission. In Tennessee, the state's Department of Agriculture fire summary showed six active fires remaining from a spate of weekend blazes. Those incidents accounted for less than 10 acres of burned brush, according the summary, but 762 acres have burned over a 7-day stretch, the department's data show. Winds in the region from Georgia to North Carolina have died down, but federal forecasters say that because relative humidity remains below 25%, the risk of fires will remain high through Tuesday night. "Elevated fire weather conditions continue into Tuesday as breezy winds and warmer temperatures return," the National Weather Service forecast office for Columbia, South Carolina, said. A cold front will bring rain to the Carolinas late Tuesday into Wednesday, federal forecasters said. But it will also be preceded by an increase in winds that could fan any remaining flames, the Columbia office said in its forecast discussion published Monday. Because the cold, wet system will move through the region rapidly, the forecast office said, "only brief relief from fire weather concerns are anticipated." This article was originally published on
NBC News
04-03-2025
- Climate
- NBC News
Carolinas await rain as firefighters gain upper hand on fires
Firefighters in the Carolinas appeared to be getting the upper hand on a bloom of wildfires that erupted over the weekend, even as a few new ones started amid the region's ongoing dry spell. In hard-hit South Carolina, a 1,600-acre blaze in the Carolina Forest community just outside Myrtle Beach city limits was at least 30% contained, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said in a statement. Imagery from the Myrtle Beach region Monday morning showed a shroud of smoke enveloping parts of the low-lying terrain and creating a wall of low visibility. Horry County Fire Rescue, the fire agency with local jurisdiction, said residents should beware of low visibility caused by smoke through Tuesday morning. State and local firefighters were aided by two Blackhawk helicopters and one Chinook from the South Carolina National Guard, the guard said. The aircraft have dropped an estimated 60,000 gallons of water on the Carolina Forest fire, it said. Residents who evacuated were allowed to return Sunday evening, Horry County Fire Rescue, said in a statement. They had to contend with smoke so thick and dangerous that motorists were advised by the agency to stay off roads in the fire zone. South Carolina Gov. Henry D. McMaster, who declared a fire-related state of emergency on Sunday, counted the state's battle with wildfire as a victory. "The report that I've received so far, there have been no buildings lost and no lives lost," he said. "It was a great performance." The state was also the site of four other active wildfires, two of which started Monday in Williamsburg County, about 50 miles west of Myrtle Beach, according to an email from Doug Wood, spokesperson for the forestry commission. A state summary of fires shows 108 blazes have been reported and 4,357 acres burned in the last seven days. Wood previously said the vast majority of dry weather blazes broke out Saturday, when gusts stronger than 25 mph were reported in the Myrtle Beach area and temperatures reached into the mid-70s, according to National Weather Service data. On Sunday, volunteers gathered at Carolina Forest Community Church, where some firefighters were coordinating their efforts and taking breaks, to grill up hamburgers and hotdogs for the first responders, according to NBC affiliate WMBF of Myrtle Beach. Thomas Garavito and Jillian Patton from Murrells Inlet, a community about 20 miles down the coast, dropped off ready-to-eat fare from Dunkin'. 'I saw this morning that they were doing a good job of keeping the fires away from their homes and, again, I just want to show our gratitude for that," Garavito said. In North Carolina, fires in all four of the state's national forests remained active Monday, with burned areas estimated to total nearly 500 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service. No containment estimate was available, but the service said in a statement Monday that crews were excavating containment lines and using "mechanized equipment to manage heavy fuel loads partly due to Hurricane Helene," which wrought destruction in the Southeast last year as it moved inland to Tennessee and North Carolina, creating catastrophic flooding and killing more than 200 people in its path. Helene's tropical precipitation and destructive winds may have also indirectly aided North Carolina's fifth active fire, burning near the city of Tryon. 'Parts of the wildfire are burning in vegetative debris that resulted from blow down during Hurricane Helene,' Philip Jackson of the North Carolina Forestry Service said by text. The 593-acre blaze was 63% contained, he said near the end of the workday. Evacuations in the area were voluntary. "N.C. Forest Service personnel are working to strengthen and widen containment lines while mopping up in steep mountainous terrain," Jackson said. No injuries or structure loss has been reported, and the fire's cause was under investigation. While such an eruption of fires is rare, Wood, the South Carolina Forestry Commission spokesperson, told NBC affiliate WCBD of Charleston over the weekend that the region is in the midst of peak fire season weather. "It's not unheard of," he said. In Georgia, 10 weekend fires remained active on Monday, with 2,535 acres burned, seven structures and two vehicles damaged and no containment, said Wendy Burnett, spokesperson for the Georgia Forestry Commission. In Tennessee, the state's Department of Agriculture fire summary showed six active fires remaining from a spate of weekend blazes. Those incidents accounted for less than 10 acres of burned brush, according the summary, but 762 acres have burned over a 7-day stretch, the department's data show. Winds in the region from Georgia to North Carolina have died down, but federal forecasters say that because relative humidity remains below 25%, the risk of fires will remain high through Tuesday night. "Elevated fire weather conditions continue into Tuesday as breezy winds and warmer temperatures return," the National Weather Service forecast office for Columbia, South Carolina, said. A cold front will bring rain to the Carolinas late Tuesday into Wednesday, federal forecasters said. But it will also be preceded by an increase in winds that could fan any remaining flames, the Columbia office said in its forecast discussion published Monday. Because the cold, wet system will move through the region rapidly, the forecast office said, "only brief relief from fire weather concerns are anticipated."
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires rage across the Carolinas; South Carolina governor issues state of emergency
Editor's note: This story reflects news of the wildfires in North and South Carolina for Sunday, March 2. For the latest news, visit our story of the Carolina fires for Monday, March 3. Dozens of wildfires raged across North and South Carolina on Sunday, prompting officials to issue evacuation orders and open emergency shelters as both states and much of the Eastern Seaboard contended with dry conditions and gusty winds. In South Carolina, 175 wildfires burned across the state, scorching over 4,200 acres of land and straining firefighting resources, according to the state fire marshal's office. Response operations were ongoing in various areas, including Horry, Spartanburg, Union, Oconee, and Pickens counties. The largest of the brush fires erupted Saturday in Carolina Forest, a community west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The fire exploded in size overnight, forcing residents in at least a half dozen neighborhoods to flee their homes, officials said. As of 5:30 p.m. local time Sunday, the fire grew to more than 1,600 acres and was 30% contained, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. By 7:30 p.m., some residents who were forced to evacuate were allowed back in their homes, Horry County Fire Rescue said in a statement. Dramatic videos show the inferno nearing homes as flames whipped furiously, sending stacks of smoke into the air. Officials said no structures have been destroyed and no injuries have been reported. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency Sunday to unlock funds and resources for the ongoing response effort. A statewide ban on outdoor fires remains in effect, he said. "This state of emergency ensures that our first responders, who are working tirelessly and risking their lives to protect our communities from these wildfires, have the resources they need,' McMaster said in a statement. The South Carolina National Guard said it was assisting the South Carolina Forestry Commission and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources with wildfire containment in Horry County on Sunday. The state National Guard prepared two Blackhawk helicopters, which can carry about 600 gallons of water. In an update Sunday night, the Horry County Fire Rescue said residents in neighborhoods that were evacuated due to the Carolina Forest-area wildfire are allowed to re-enter their homes. As of 7:30 p.m., no structures have been impacted by the wildfire and no injuries were reported. "Residents can expect to see first responders in the affected areas for an extended period of time," the department said. "Smoke will also be visible for an extended period of time. Folks traveling across the area are asked to use caution as smoke may reduce visibility, particularly after dark." International Drive, which runs through the Carolina Forest, remains closed at the fire gates, according to the Horry County Fire Rescue. The department advised motorists to use alternative routes of highways 501, 22, and 31. About 410 personnel and at least 127 fire apparatus have been involved in the fire response, according to the department. Jason Daily, 52, was home in western Myrtle Beach when he received an evacuation order on his phone Sunday morning. Living in a coastal city prone to hurricanes, he already had a go-bag with important documents ready, but he still needed to get his two African serval cats, Cage and Raven, into their kennels. Within 30 minutes, he packed the animals into his truck and headed to the nearby town of Conway, where his contracting business has a shop. There, he let the cats out and started a barbecue in the parking lot for evacuees. On Saturday, he heard about the fast-moving fire and began seeing smoke outside his windows. Taking one step outside, it was "all you could smell," he said. Daily, a retired fireman, has lived in Horry County for decades. He said this fire is the worst he's seen in the area since 2009, when a massive blaze consumed over 19,000 acres of land and destroyed 76 homes, including some of his friend's properties. "I'm worried about our home, but it's just belongings that can be replaced," said Daily, who has been offered a few places to stay if he's not able to return home Sunday. "Everything important to me is out of the house." In North Carolina, a wildfire burning in the Blue Ridge mountains was threatening the communities of Saluda and Tryon, which are located near the South Carolina border. The so-called Melrose Fire burned 400 acres of land as of Sunday afternoon and remained uncontained, according to Polk County Emergency Management. "As of right now, evacuations are still voluntary for those in the affected areas of this fire," the agency said. The state's forest service said its personnel, along with local firefighters, were battling the blaze from the air and the ground. The fire department in Saluda said in a statement on Facebook that the fire appeared to have been started "by a downed power line." Myrtle Beach, a coastal city home to nearly 40,000 people, has not had any damage from the large blaze spreading in eastern South Carolina, though it's close enough to see the smoke. The blaze has scorched over 1,200 acres in Carolina Forest, a community just west of Myrtle Beach, where residents in several neighborhoods fled their homes. The Myrtle Beach Fire Department is one of more than 30 agencies helping Horry County Fire Rescue battle the blaze. The National Weather Service issued advisories on Sunday from Georgia to New Jersey warning of an increased risk of wildfires. "The combination of dry fuels & low relative humidity continues to raise concerns for dangerous fire behavior on Sunday," the weather service office in Columbia, South Carolina. "While winds will be lighter, the dry conditions are forecast to continue being a problem." The weather service issued a special weather statement for the elevated risk of the spread of wildfires in central and southern New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and northeastern Maryland. "Minimum relative humidity values will be near 20% combined with northwest winds near 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph," said the weather service in Mount Holly, New Jersey. "These conditions could support the rapid spread of any fires that ignite, which could quickly become difficult to control." The Georgia Forestry Commission said it responded to 137 wildfires that burned more than 2,300 acres across the state on Saturday. The agency warned that while conditions were expected to improve on Sunday, residents should remain "extremely cautious with anything that may start fires outdoors." Two wildfires were burning in New Jersey, including one in Mercer County and another in Salem County. As of Saturday night, the Salem County fire burned about 50 acres and was 85% contained, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. No structures or roads were impacted. The Mercer County Fire scorched more than 270 acres and was 80% contained by Sunday morning, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. The agency said 30 residential structures and four commercial structures had been threatened. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wildfires rage across North and South Carolina, forcing evacuations
