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Wildfires impacting South Carolina, North Carolina

March 5, 2025 2 min read

Wildfires in South Carolina have burned nearly 5,000 acres as of Tuesday, March 4, leading to an emergency declaration.

The largest individual wildfire was near Myrtle Beach, S.C., reportedly covering more than 2,000 acres.

Through March 15, federal hours-of-service regulations are waived for commercial vehicles and operators of commercial vehicles responding to events associated with abnormally high fire occurrences, according to the South Carolina emergency declaration.

Certain size and weight exemptions are also suspended. Permits from the state DOT are still required for vehicles exceeding the state’s outlined dimensions.

A statewide outdoor burning ban also remains effective in South Carolina.

“While a majority of the current wildfire activity is concentrated in the Pee Dee region, the rest of the state is experiencing a dramatic uptick in wildfires, straining the capacity of Forestry Commission firefighters and local emergency response personnel to respond,” Darryl Jones, forest protection chief for the South Carolina Forestry Commission, said in a statement.

Forecasted severe weather including high winds could increase the danger of wildfires in the coming days.

Looks like a busy 24 hours or so across the region as a cold front approaches, with increased fire danger today, strong winds tonight over the mountains, severe thunderstorms possible after midnight, and heavy rain near the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Whew! #ncwx #scwx #gawx pic.twitter.com/W7PAfjaodb

— NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) March 4, 2025

Wildfires also active North Carolina

The North Carolina Forest Service listed more than 100 active wildfires on Monday, March 3.

Western North Carolina is particularly vulnerable to additional wildfires due to downed timber and storm debris from Hurricane Helene, the Forest Service said.

Residents are urged to contact their local N.C. Forest Service office before starting any outdoor fire. LL