Crews from across South Carolina help battle Carolina Forest-area wildfires

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) - Regional and state fire rescue crews in South Carolina on Monday continued to battle the Carolina Forest-area wildfires, according to Horry County Fire Rescue.

Heavy smoke was in the area, with very low visibility, HCFR said.

The South Carolina Forestry Commission continued to assist with airplane water drops, plows, and strengthening and cutting lines as crews worked toward containment. There were two additional helicopter resources dropping water as well.

HCFR crews were conducting flying reconnaissance with drones as well as on-site visual reconnaissance with supervisors to aid in response.

Crews battled wildfires in North and South Carolina on Sunday amid dry conditions and gusty winds as residents were forced to evacuate in some areas.

Courtesy SCDOT
Courtesy SCDOT
Courtesy SCDOT

The National Weather Service warned of increased fire danger in the region due to a combination of critically dry fuels and very low relative humidity.

Dozens of people had checked into a Red Cross shelter as crews worked to contain the fires on Sunday. Along with Horry County’s massive wildfire, roughly 175 smaller wildfires had broken out across the state, impacting 4,200 acres of land, according to the state Fire Marshal.

By Sunday afternoon, all but two of the fires were 100% contained. The smaller of the two — the Blackthorn Drive Fire — was 80% contained, according to the South Carolina Forest Commission. It has covered about 800 acres.

Gov. Henry McMaster on Sunday declared a state of emergency to support South Carolina’s ongoing response. The order continues indefinitely an outdoor burning ban and makes it easier for responders to coordinate their efforts.

“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.

Despite nearly 2,000 acres burning in Horry County, officials say nobody has been injured or killed, and no structures have been lost, State Rep. Tim McGinnis, R-Myrtle Beach, said in a Facebook post.

Around 11:50 p.m. Saturday, officials announced evacuations for the Indigo Bay, the Farm, and Summerlyn neighborhoods of Carolina Forest. Earlier Saturday evening, evacuation orders were lifted in some areas even as flames were visible on the horizon.

In North Carolina, the U.S. Forest Service said fire crews were working to contain multiple wildfires burning in four forests across the state on Sunday. The largest, about 400 acres, was at Uwharrie National Forest, about 50 miles east of Charlotte. The Forest Service said Sunday afternoon that it had made progress on the fire, reaching about one-third containment.

The small southwestern town of Tryon in Polk County, North Carolina, urged some residents to evacuate Saturday as a fire spread rapidly there. The evacuations remained in effect Sunday. A decision on whether to lift them was expected Monday after intentional burns were set to try to stop the fire from spreading.

Photo courtesy of South Carolina National Guard

That fire has burned about 500 acres as of late Sunday, with zero percent containment, according to the Polk County Emergency Management/Fire Marshal's office. The North Carolina Forest Service was conducting water drops and back-burning operations on the ground, and area residents should expect a lot of smoke during those operations, officials said.

Officials have not said what caused any of the fires.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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