Celebrities who live in Charleston, South Carolina, will likely remain unimpacted by the wildfires that ignited across the state over the weekend.
Why It Matters
More than 175 fires were burning in South Carolina on Sunday, prompting Governor Henry McMaster to declare a state of emergency. Since then, nearly all of the fires have been 100 percent contained, according to a map from the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC). The fire burning in Horry County near Myrtle Beach, however, remains active.
What to Know
Celebrities who reportedly own property in the Charleston area include singer-songwriter Darius Rucker, actor Bill Murray, South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley and reality television star Craig Conover. Singer-songwriter John Cougar Mellencamp owns property further south, in Hilton Head Island.
As of Monday, the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) has gained controlled or contained nearly all fires raging across the state.
Of the four active fires burning as of 2:13 p.m. Eastern time, only one is of significant size—the 1,600-acre fire burning in Horry County in northeastern South Carolina. The fire will likely continue burning for several days, SCFC Director of Communications Doug Wood told Newsweek, and there’s a chance it will continue to spread, but it’s roughly 100 miles away from the celebrities living in Charleston.
Other fires that ignited over the weekend are much closer, including four that ignited in Berkeley County, roughly 30 miles away from Charleston. However, those fires were marked as contained on Monday morning, and they have since been removed from SCFC’s fire tracker map.
A new active wildfire ignited in Berkeley County on Monday afternoon at 251 Farrell Street, roughly a 40-minute drive northwest of Charleston. SCFC data puts the fire at 0 acres in size.
No fires are documented as burning in Charleston city limits, according to the map. Winds have decreased significantly, and South Carolina is expecting rain by Wednesday, which should reduce the dry fuels available.
What People Are Saying
NWS office in Columbia, South Carolina, in a special weather statement: “The combination of dry fuels & low relative humidity continues to raise concerns for dangerous fire behavior today. The RH levels are expected to increase on Tuesday, but due to increasing winds and ongoing fires, elevated fire danger is expected to continue.”
Wood told Newsweek: “Embers can travel up to a mile, so it’s entirely possible the fire [in Horry County] can jump the lines.”
What Happens Next
A statewide burn ban remains in effect throughout South Carolina. The National Weather Service office for Columbia, South Carolina, warned that fire weather would persist through Tuesday night.
The post Map Shows Celebrities Who Live in South Carolina Amid Wildfires appeared first on Newsweek.
