Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovin / U.S. Army National Guard via AP
On the heels of the California blazes, tragedy struck late March in North and South Carolina, where blazing wildfires burned approximately 15,000-25,000 acres; however, no casualties have been reported by officials.
Four teenagers have been charged with starting the largest of the fires, the Table Rock Fire, in South Carolina by not fully extinguishing their cigarettes while on a hike in the area. They are accused of carelessly leaving behind the cigarettes March 21, which officials say caused the blaze.
The Table Rock Fire has surpassed the 2016 Pinnacle Mountain fire as the largest wildfire in Upstate South Carolina history.
Dry conditions and strong winds have only led to the rapid spread of the fires, with the Table Rock Complex Fire burning nearly 9,000 acres in the matter of six days.
The largest blazes, aside from the Table Rock Complex Fire, have affected areas such as Caldwell, Buncombe, Polk, Jackson, Haywood and Swain counties in North Carolina, alongside Persimmon Ridge in South Carolina.
Unfortunate environmental conditions are not the only causes of the wildfires’ rapid spread,however, with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a brutal storm that hit the East September 2024, leaving behind downed timber in its wake.
Madeline Stewart, the South Carolina Forestry Commission Public Information Coordinator, described the tremendous amount of debris and timber in the woods as almost indescribable, adding yet another hurdle for first responders to get through.
The major fires in both states have now been contained or mostly contained, though a few smaller ones remain active.
Amid these unfortunate blazes, parts of the South and Midwest experienced a weekend of heavy rain and flash flooding, leaving over 30 million people under alerts as of Sunday April 6.
Unlike the fires, a reported 19 people have been killed due to the harsh conditions, 10 of which happened in Tennessee.
As the week continues, the storm moves eastward towards the southern Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, bringing with it severe winds, thunderstorms and several tornadoes according to the National Weather Service.
The system has also begun to affect the Carolinas, both of which have experienced moderate to severe drought conditions due to low rainfall in the last six months.