Months after Helene’s flooding, wildfires erupt in parched Carolinas
Dry weather to kick off March helped spark and spread hundreds of wildfires throughout North Carolina and South Carolina
While we're still several months away from the beginning of wildfire season here in Canada, blazes have already started to spring up south of the border.
Hundreds of wildfires are burning across the Carolinas this weekend as favourable weather conditions allowed for the spark and spread of blazes throughout the region.
The largest fire in near the city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, forced residents to flee Saturday as flames inched close to housing developments.
Fire weather is a stunning reversal in atmospheric fortunes for this part of the southeastern United States, arriving so soon after the prolific rains that washed over the region during Hurricane Helene this past fall.
DON’T MISS: How Hurricane Helene produced 700+ mm of rain in three days
Weather helps spread hundreds of wildfires
Dry air, warm conditions, and gusty winds raised the fire danger across the Carolinas to start the first weekend of March. Officials issued red flag warnings—a type of fire danger alert—on Saturday, Mar. 1, and hoisted additional special weather statements on Sunday as dry conditions and gusty winds persisted.
The favourable weather conditions allowed for the ignition and spread of hundreds of wildfires throughout the Carolinas during the first weekend of March.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission, which issued a burn ban due to the increased fire danger, reported on Mar. 2 that there were 173 fires burning throughout the state. These fires have collectively consumed more than 2,000 hectares (5,100+ acres) of land.
South Carolina’s largest blaze, located northwest of Myrtle Beach, prompted evacuations after growing to nearly 500 hectares (1,200 acres) on Sunday.
The North Carolina Forest Service reported more than 250 fires burning throughout the Tar Heel State on Sunday, Mar. 2, which have consumed more than 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of land.
From floods to drought
Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last fall after the storm dropped hundreds of millimetres of rain across the region.
Weather patterns changed in a hurry as fall faded to winter, with cold temperatures and dry air dominating the Carolinas through the heart of the season.
As of Feb. 25, the United States Drought Monitor found more than 82 per cent of South Carolina found itself abnormally dry or mired in a moderate drought, while similar conditions covered more than 88 per cent of the state of North Carolina.
The majority of both states have only seen between 25 and 75 per cent of their normal precipitation over the past 90 days.
That’s a significant change from just a couple of months ago. North Carolina and South Carolina were both well-hydrated at the beginning of October, with zero per cent of either state experiencing abnormally dry conditions.
An active storm track building across eastern North America through the month of March could bring opportunities for much-needed rainfall across the region in the weeks ahead.