Wildfires race across NC mountains, prompting evacuation, national park campfire ban
Strong winds and dry conditions prompted the National Park Service on Saturday to ban campfires and charcoal use until further notice in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Both the North Carolina and Tennessee sides of the park fall under the ban, rangers said in a “high fire danger” alert at 3:19 p.m.
The town of Tryon, North Carolina, evacuated homes and businesses along 20 roads due to a “rapidly spreading” wildfire that remained out of control Sunday morning, McClatchy News reported.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued a statewide burning ban on Saturday “due to dangerous wildfire conditions.”
“That means you can and will go to jail for starting a fire outdoors in South Carolina. Period,” McMaster said on social media site X.
Sunday, firefighters responded to multiple wildfires across North Carolina’s national forests, including Croatan, Nantahala, Uwharrie and Pisgah, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
“Careless debris burning remains the leading cause,” Forest Service officials said in a statement. “Smoke may impact nearby communities and roadways, especially during morning and evening commutes. Drivers should use caution.”
N.C. Emergency Management officials urged people to avoid the areas so firefighters could safely work.
“Structure protection is ongoing in several areas,” officials said on X.
Nine wildfires erupted in the N.C. mountains and northeast Georgia on Saturday, according to the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina.
“Any fire that develops will catch and spread quickly,” NWS meteorologists said on social media site X. “Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged.”
In a “red flag warning” alert at 3 p.m. Saturday, the NWS said a dry cold front from the west-northwest was sweeping in gusty winds as dry air lingered across the Charlotte region, Carolinas mountains and N.C. foothills.
“The combination of these factors may lead to dangerous fire weather conditions,” NWS forecasters said in the alert.
At 6 a.m. Sunday, the NWS said on X that winds will weaken, but “relative humidity will reach critical values again this afternoon.”
A fire danger alert was in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. across the Charlotte area, mountains and foothills, NWS meteorologists said.
“If you burn, use extreme caution!!!” the NWS said on X.
The burn ban in Great Smoky Mountains National Park ban is consistent with the burn ban in Sevier County, Tennessee, and a National Weather Service red flag warning in the park area, rangers said.
Campers, backpackers and visitors using park picnic areas are still permitted to use camp stoves with compressed gas canisters and gas grills that have an on/off switch.
“Stoves and grills should be attended at all times,” rangers urged.
“Visitors should use extra caution recreating on public lands, including national parks and national forests in North Carolina and Tennessee, when fire danger is increased,” according to the National Park Service alert.
Check the the park’s current conditions website for updates on the burn ban.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
This story was originally published March 1, 2025 at 5:19 PM.