Firefighters make progress on containing some Carolina wildfires, but
others grow
[March 27, 2025]
By The Associated Press
Firefighters announced progress Wednesday night on containing two of the
largest wildfires burning in the North Carolina mountains, but they
warned that fire danger remained from dry and windy conditions.
The news was worse in South Carolina, where two fires nearly doubled in
size Wednesday, but crews kept the blazes away from homes and other
structures.
Hundreds of people have been asked to leave their homes in North
Carolina and South Carolina as a half-dozen large fires are burning in
the Blue Ridge Mountains, spreading smoke into places like Greenville.
Millions of fallen trees from September's Hurricane Helene are both
providing fuel for the wildfires and hindering firefighters' use of
logging roads and paths.
The North Carolina Forest Service said that the Black Cove Fire and Deep
Woods Fire were each more than 10% contained on Wednesday night, after
days of reporting zero containment for the two blazes. The fires have
scorched nearly 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) combined, but the
size of the area burned has largely remained the same since the previous
day.
About 250 homes have been evacuated in Polk County, where the fires are
centered. About two dozen homes and outbuildings have been destroyed in
Polk County, spokesperson Kellie Cannon said.
Firefighters have managed to save most of the structures near the fires.
Only one injury has been reported — a firefighter in North Carolina got
his leg caught under a tree, officials said.
Discouraging forecasts
There is rain in the forecast for the weekend, but it isn't the kind of
soaking downpour that can knock a fire out on its own, said National
Weather Service meteorologist Ashley Rehnberg in Greer, South Carolina.
“Hopefully that will at least calm things down briefly,” Rehnberg said.
The bright spot in the forecast for the next week is there is no
especially dangerous day where the winds and the dry weather reach
potentially disastrous levels like in Los Angeles in January or
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in 2016.
Forestry agencies in North Carolina and South Carolina are already
figuring out how to rotate teams of firefighters into and out of the
mountains for what could be a long fight.
“Burn bans are in place, and people need to follow them,” Rehnberg said.
“Even if we do get rain, the weather is going to continue to be a
problem as far as we can forecast.”
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A helicopter does a water drop on the Black Cove Fire Wednesday,
March 26, 2025, in Saluda, N.C.. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
South Carolina fire update
South Carolina fire officials called for their first round of
evacuations Tuesday night and more throughout the day Wednesday.
Two fires are burning — a larger one inside Table Rock State Park in
Pickens County that has consumed 7.1 square miles (18.4 square
kilometers) and another one on Persimmon Ridge in Greenville County
that has burned 2.4 square miles (6.2 square kilometers), according
to measurements from the air Wednesday afternoon, Officials said the
fires have likely grown since then.
About 250 homes are in the Pickens County evacuation zone with more
in neighboring Greenville County, authorities said.
The fires are about 8 miles (12.5 kilometers) apart, and winds are
strong enough that authorities decided to evacuate the area between
the two fires.
North Carolina fire update
Wednesday's dry weather led to several new fires in western North
Carolina and prompted Gov. Josh Stein to declare a state of
emergency in 34 western counties. At least nine fires were active in
that part of the state, officials said.
“Our State Emergency Response Team is responding with every tool at
its disposal. Please stay safe and stay alert for any evacuation
orders if the fires spread to an area near you,” Stein said in a
statement.
Late Tuesday, a wildfire started in far western North Carolina not
far from Bryson City. Police were evacuating dozens of people as the
fire spread to nearly 1 square mile (1.6 square kilometers).
Authorities tell people to stop burning
The fires in South Carolina have been caused by humans.
Authorities from local fire chiefs all the way to South Carolina's
governor are urging people to heed burn bans in both states and stop
setting fires at campsites or to burn garbage.
“We have people going out in the woods and in their backyards and
starting fires when the wind is blowing and everything is dry,”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said. “We just have to use common
sense. People get out in nature and they forget how dangerous it can
be."
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