Six Mile Mtn. fire contained, state-wide burn ban in effect

PICKENS COUNTY — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on March 2 as firefighters continue to battle hundreds of wildfires across the Carolinas.

“This State of Emergency ensures that our first responders, who are working tirelessly and risking their lives to protect our communities from these wildfires, have the resources they need,” said McMaster. “Dangerous wildfire conditions require that a statewide burning ban remain in effect until further notice. Those who violate this ban will be subject to criminal prosecution.”

According to the State Fire Marshal, there are ongoing response operations to more than 175 wildfires, impacting 4,200 acres across the state, including Horry, Spartanburg, Oconee, Union and Pickens Counties primarily due to dry, windy conditions.

Nearly 5,000 acres have burned in the Palmetto State, with 170 fires reported, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

In response, the Forestry Commission has issued a State Forester’s Burning Ban for all counties, effective immediately.

A State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning, prescribed burning and campfires in all unincorporated areas of the state.

“Very low relative humidities statewide, coupled with drying fuels resulting from the lack of significant rain, have resulted in 102 wildfire ignitions today alone,” the commission said on Saturday. “Much-higher-than-forecasted winds have led to these fires spreading rapidly and growing larger.

“While a majority of the current wildfire activity is concentrated in the Pee Dee region, the rest of the state is experiencing a dramatic uptick in wildfires today, straining the capacity of agency firefighters to respond.”

The ban will stay in effect until further notice, which will come in the form of an official announcement from the Forestry Commission, they said.

Here in Pickens County, crews were battling a fire near Laurel Ridge Road off of Six Mile Highway. Residents of Six Mile Ridge and Pilgrim Circle were asked to evacuate the area, according to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. A shelter was opened at Pleasant Hill Fellowship Hall at 3041 Six Mile Highway in Central. The evacuation order was lifted at dawn and the county, along with the Six Mile Fire Department, has reported no injuries.

The fire on Six Mile Mountain spanned 230 acres, according to the Forestry Commission. Smoke from that fire spread across the Upstate and the plume of smoke was visible from downtown Greenville.

In Union County, a fire broke out along Jonesville Lockhart Highway near Pineland Road east of Jonesville that was around 60 acres in size, according to the Forestry Commission.

Officials with the Jonesville Fire Department said they were called to a large grass fire around 4 p.m. Houses were spared but some cars and outbuildings were destroyed by the fire, according to Jonesville Fire Chief D.J. Long. That fire was contained by Saturday night, officials said.

In Spartanburg County, firefighters responded to a fire between Miller Town Road and Blackstock Road that Forestry officials said was 90 acres in size.

And a smaller, eight-acre fire was also burning along Newberry Road just south of Landrum in Spartanburg County, as of 6:45 p.m. That fire was contained by 8:15 p.m. on Saturday.

The Inman City Fire Department said in a post on social media more than 20 brush fires were reported in Spartanburg County on Saturday, many of them occurring simultaneously.