US Firefighters Confront Destructive Wildfires In Carolinas Due To Dry Air And Strong Winds

Firefighters in North and South Carolina have been combating numerous wildfires over the weekend, leading officials to instruct certain residents to evacuate. The fires were ignited by arid conditions, strong winds, and exceptionally high temperatures.

As of Sunday, the biggest fire was consuming 1,200 acres close to the coastal city of Myrtle Beach. Additionally, the US National Weather Service has issued a warning about heightened fire risk in the area because of a mix of extremely dry fuels and very low relative humidity.

Intense footage from South Carolina depicted firefighters struggling against flames as the blaze approached homes. To date, American media reports indicate that there have been no reported injuries from the fires. The recent fires occur a month after destructive wildfires in Los Angeles, likely to become the most expensive in US history, with anticipated damages reaching up to $35 billion.

In South Carolina, where over 175 fires scorched 6.6 square miles (17 square kilometers), Governor Henry McMaster has issued a state of emergency to aid the wildfire response after officials announced a statewide burn ban. The governor stated that the burn ban would stay in place indefinitely.

At the same time, firefighters have achieved some success in controlling a blaze in the Carolina Forest region, situated west of Myrtle Beach, where residents were instructed to leave multiple neighborhoods, as reported by Horry County Fire Rescue. Footage from the location captured individuals evacuating their homes as smoke engulfed the sky. By late Sunday afternoon, the fire department reported that evacuees from Carolina Forest were allowed to return home.

By Sunday evening, the South Carolina Forestry Commission estimated that the fire had consumed 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), with containment at 30 percent. In North Carolina, the US Forest Service reported that fire crews were engaged in efforts to control several wildfires raging in four different forests throughout the state.

The biggest fire, spanning roughly 400 acres (162 hectares), occurred at Uwharrie National Forest, located approximately 50 miles (80.47 kilometers) east of Charlotte. The Forest Service announced on Sunday afternoon that it had made advancements in battling the fire, achieving approximately one-third containment.

The tiny town of Tryon in Polk County, North Carolina, recommended that certain residents evacuate Saturday as a fire quickly spread in the area. The evacuations continued to be in place on Sunday. A choice on whether to remove them was anticipated to be reached on Monday after planned burns are scheduled to help prevent the fire from expanding.

As of late Sunday, that fire has scorched roughly 500 acres (202 hectares) with no containment, according to the Polk County Emergency Management/Fire Marshal’s office.