South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a State of Emergency as thousands of South Carolina residents remain under an evacuation order after wildfires have affected as least 1,200 acres across the state.
The South Carolina State Fire Marshal said Sunday that firefighters were battling 175 wildfires that erupted across South and North Carolina amid windy and dry conditions, threatening homes and prompting evacuations, in an ongoing response operations to more than 175 wildfires that have burned a combined 4,200 acres across the state — including blazes burning in Horry, Spartanburg, Oconee, Union and Pickens counties.
One of the biggest wildfires raging Sunday morning was threatening residents in the Carolina Forest near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in Horry County, as well as the quick-spreading fire in the Carolina Forest which has burned more than 1,200 acres by Sunday morning and was threatening the communities of Walker Woods and Avalon, according to the South Carolina Forest Commission. The fire was 0% contained, officials said.
Governor McMaster said in a statement: “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, Dangerous wildfire conditions require that a statewide burning ban remain in effect until further notice. Those who violate this ban will be subject to criminal prosecution.”
As of March 1, 2025, the South Carolina Forestry Commission issued a State Forester’s Burning Ban for all counties. The ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning, prescribed burning and campfires: “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.”
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