Wildfires burn thousands of acres in Carolinas as evacuation orders issued

• North Carolinians evacuated their homes under orders from government officials over the weekend as three wildfires burned thousands of acres roughly 30 miles southeast of Asheville. The North Carolina Forest Service said the Black Cove Fire, Deep Woods Fire and Fish Hook Fire spread quickly, fed by dry conditions and land ravaged by Hurricane Helene with downed trees.
• The Black Cove Fire has burned more than 2,000 acres, and the Deep Woods Fire has burned more than 2,500 acres, according to officials.
• As a result of the wildfires, the North Carolina Division of Air Quality declared a “code red” in Polk County, which means the air is unhealthy for everyone, while a “code orange” alert was issued for Rutherford County for those sensitive to smoke.

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North Carolinians evacuated their homes under orders from officials over the weekend of March 21, as three wildfires burned thousands of acres roughly 30 miles southeast of Asheville.

The North Carolina Forest Service said the Black Cove Fire, Deep Woods Fire and Fish Hook Fire spread quickly, fed by dry conditions and land ravaged by Hurricane Helene with downed trees.

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What are health officials doing?

As a result of the wildfires, the North Carolina Division of Air Quality declared a “code red” in Polk County, which means the air is unhealthy for everyone, while a “code orange” alert was issued for Rutherford County for those sensitive to smoke.

Due to multiple wildfires in the area, the North Carolina Division of Air Quality has issued a "Code Red" (UNHEALTHY) alert for Polk County and a "Code Orange" (UNHEALTHY for SENSITIVE GROUPS) for Rutherford County. pic.twitter.com/n2I8Ptdy4O

— N.C. Forest Service (@ncforestservice) March 22, 2025

Wildfires also spread into South Carolina, where Gov. Henry McMaster, R, declared a state of emergency. McMaster said the order includes a statewide ban on any outdoor fires until further notice.

How much damage have the wildfires done?

Officials said no injuries have been reported from the fires at this time. They also say an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fires.

This is the second time so far in March that the governor has issued a state of emergency for South Carolina because of wildfires.

Wildfires also blazed during the weekend of Feb. 28 near Myrtle Beach in Horry County, spreading to more than 1,600 acres before crews could bring them under control.