Large fires continue to burn in North Carolina and South Carolina as firefighters work to contain the flames.

Why It Matters

Hundreds of wildfires broke out across North and South Carolina over the weekend, but most have been contained or controlled, according to maps from the North Carolina Forest Service and the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC).

What to Know

As of Tuesday morning, one active fire remains burning in South Carolina, in Horry County near Myrtle Beach. All other fires that ignited across the state have been contained or controlled.

The active fire is 30 percent contained. On Monday, it covered 1,600 acres, but it has since grown to nearly 2,060 acres. SCFC Director of Communications Doug Wood told Newsweek that a fire of that size can take days to extinguish.

Wood explained that the SCFC was creating a perimeter around the fire, in which bulldozers remove fuels so that the flames can’t spread. However, sometimes embers can travel through the tree canopy. On Monday, the South Carolina National Guard was conducting fire suppression from helicopters.

In North Carolina, the largest fire is burning in Polk County. It is 593 acres in size and 63 percent contained, according to the forest service’s map. Newsweek reached out to the forest service by phone and email for comment.

Most of the fires labeled as active across the rest of the state are less than 100 acres in size, though many are 0 percent contained.

In a press release published Monday, the North Carolina Forest Service said that significant storm debris remains in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene in September 2024. The debris is “vulnerable” to wildfires because of increased fuel for the flames, the press release said.

What People Are Saying

National Weather Service (NWS) office in Wilmington, North Carolina, in a special weather statement: “The combination of dry fuels, increasing afternoon SE winds and limited rainfall during the past couple weeks, will lead to continued dangerous and adverse fire behavior today across Southeast NC and Northeast SC.”

The statement added: “The South Carolina Forestry Commission will continue the SC statewide burn ban until further notice. Please heed this burn ban and any local fire ordinances in order to mitigate any additional wildfires.”

North Carolina Forest Service in the Monday press release: “March signals the beginning of spring wildfire season in North Carolina, and the N.C. Forest Service is urging residents to be diligent about using best practices and common sense with all outdoor fires, especially yard debris burns.”

What Happens Next

Most special weather statements warning of dry fuels in both states are set to expire by Tuesday night.

Looking forward, the NWS Climate Prediction Center expects North Carolina and South Carolina temperatures to be above average through March 17, but both states are expecting above-average precipitation during the same time period.