Brush Fires Covering 5,000 Acres Across North and South Carolina Prompt Evacuation Orders
Multiple brush fires in North and South Carolina covering over 5,000 acres across the states prompted evacuation orders in affected areas last weekend, and a state of emergency was declared in South Carolina. The largest fire is still burning near Myrtle Beach, S.C., and has covered over 2,000 acres. According to the North Carolina Forest Service and the South Carolina Forestry Commission, fire fighters have been working to contain the remaining 92 fires of the 300 they have responded to since last week in both states.
“The state [South Carolina] 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.
According to officials, the largest fire in North Carolina is a 600-acre blaze in Polk County that is 91% contained, while the largest South Carolina fire, located in Horry County, is 44% contained. Officials said intense dry and warm conditions contributed to the outburst of brush fires and that forecasted rains should help containment efforts in the coming days, but not significantly.
Protestors Gather on Public Lands in Support of Fired Federal Workers
Thousands of protestors rallied across the country in national forests and parks in response to the firing of over 1,000 federal employees under the Trump Administration. An effort across social media using hashtags like #ProtectOurParks and #RehirePark Rangers encouraged those outraged by the terminations to gather in their local national park or forest this past weekend on March 1.
“We are protectors,” Transylvania Young Progressives, a group that rallied nearly 200 people to protest in Pisgah National Forest over the weekend, wrote in a post regarding the event. “We are here to protect the forest that does so much for us. It is our home, our escape…Respect it with your actions, words, and deeds.”
According to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the firings are among multiple potential changes to public lands that are in motion by the Trump administration, including opening drilling in protected areas, erasing history, and terminating National Park Service leases across the country.
RITUAL Mountain Bike Film Tour is Coming to the South
Shimano’s RITUAL Mountain Bike Film Tour is hitting 23 mountain towns across the country, including some in the South. A nationwide celebration of mountain biking films, the tour kicks off tonight in Asheville, N.C., at the Orange Peel, before traveling to Tennessee and South Carolina. The tour traveled to 10 locations in 2024, and, according to organizers, was so well received it’s been expanded this year.
With films ranging from three to 20 minutes, each tour stop contains action-packed shorts and longer storylines highlighting dynamic athletes and mountain bike culture.
For more details visit https://ritualbike.com/tour/.
Cover photo: Posted by The South Carolina Forestry Commission
