Wildfires have led to a mandatory evacuation order in a North Carolina county as emergency teams work to contain multiple blazes in the region, which is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. Meanwhile, South Carolina’s governor has declared a state of emergency due to a growing wildfire.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety issued the mandatory evacuation for parts of Polk County in western North Carolina, approximately 80 miles west of Charlotte, at 8:20 p.m. on Saturday. Authorities warned that visibility in the area would be reduced, and evacuation routes could become blocked. They urged residents to leave immediately to avoid being trapped or injured.
A shelter has been set up in Columbus, North Carolina, to assist evacuees. The North Carolina Forest Service’s wildfire tracker reported three active fires in Polk County, with the two largest fires spanning between 1.7 and 1.9 square miles. Other active fires were reported in Burke and Madison counties, with a third wildfire also burning in Stokes County, located on the northern border with Virginia.
In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on Saturday to help combat the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County. The fire, which began the day before, is burning in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Governor Henry McMaster stated that declaring a State of Emergency would help mobilize resources quickly to support firefighters as they work to protect lives and property from the spreading wildfire. He also reiterated the statewide outdoor burning ban issued by the South Carolina Forestry Commission on Friday.
On Saturday, local fire officials recommended voluntary evacuations for some residents near Table Rock Mountain, according to a social media update from the forestry commission.
The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office provided an update late Saturday, stating that fire crews had paused operations for the day but would resume on Sunday with ground crews, machinery, and support from helicopters and air tankers. The wildfire had spread across approximately 110 acres (45 hectares), and authorities advised the public to avoid state Highway 11 while operations continued.
In North Carolina’s western region, the area had already faced significant damage from Hurricane Helene in September. The storm caused severe flooding that washed away over a mile (1.6 kilometers) of eastbound lanes on Interstate 40, which remained partially closed to traffic until March. Overall, the hurricane impacted 5,000 miles (8,046 kilometers) of state-maintained roads and caused damage to 7,000 private roads, bridges, and culverts.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service had been battling a wildfire in Wharton State Forest that started on Saturday. By Sunday morning, the fire had burned around 2.7 square miles (7 square kilometers), with firefighters having contained roughly half of the blaze. Emergency officials evacuated two campgrounds in the park, though 18 nearby buildings were not threatened, as the fire was moving away from them. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
