More than 8 million people are under red flag warnings Wednesday, as firefighters continue to fight wildfires in the Carolinas.
In addition to the Carolinas, wildfire risk is spread throughout Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and northern Georgia. The major cities that are currently under threat include: Atlanta; Asheville, North Carolina; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Hagerstown, Maryland.
The critical fire conditions are a result of warm temperatures combined with strong winds in excess of 15 mph and relative humidity of 25% to 30%.
The highest fire threat Wednesday will be on the east side of the Appalachians, where westerly downsloping winds will dry out the landscape even more.
Another factor increasing the fire threat are downed trees and dry vegetation left behind by damage from Hurricane Helene last year. The hurricane swept through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and western parts of North Carolina, killing almost 250 people.
The hurricane particularly did damage in a mountainous North Carolina county where monstrous floodwaters engulfed homes.
As of Wednesday morning, there were at least five active wildfires in the state, according to an interactive map by the North Carolina Forest Service. The fires are in Polk, Caldwell and Swain counties, according to the map.
Earlier this week, North Carolina officials issued a statewide burn ban.
"Just because we saw rain in parts of the state yesterday does not mean we are out of the woods yet," the North Carolina Department of Public Safety said in a statement on X on Tuesday. "High fire danger conditions will persist this week with low relative humidity and gusty winds drying out fuels and creating conditions for rapid fire growth and spread."
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said over the weekend that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a grant to help the state respond to the blazes.
“Fire risk still remains high across NC — residents please continue to pay attention to emergency alerts and evacuation orders,” Stein wrote on X on Tuesday.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency over the weekend and also issued a statewide burn ban as firefighters battle the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County.
"Anyone who violates this ban can and will go to jail," McMaster said in a statement.
Other parts of the nation are expected to endure severe weather this week. In portions of southern and southeast Texas, there is a moderate flood risk Wednesday and Thursday. By Friday, the flood risk will shift north and east to include Houston to Baton Rouge.
On Sunday, hail, high winds and tornadoes are expected from central Ohio down to eastern Texas. And Monday, 45 million people are at risk of damaging winds from the Gulf Coast to the mid-Atlantic.
