COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Grindstone Fire in Pilot Mountain, NC could be a sign of things to come as dry weather continues in the forecast for South Carolina over the coming week.
The fire in North Carolina has grown to roughly 180 acres as of Sunday afternoon and is one of two wildfires ongoing in the southeast (the other being the Fall Branch Fire in Alabama which is 95% contained).
According to the United States Forest Service, most of the Carolinas are currently in a low to moderate fire danger class with some regions of high risk developing in portions of eastern South Carolina.
The lack of any fire weather watches or warning across South Carolina can be deceiving. The same can be said for North Carolina where no watches or warnings are being issued but, dry conditions have still proven enough for the Grindstone Fire to flourish.
RELATED: Local Forecast
Looking at the current situation, over 70% of the state is now experiencing at least Abnormally Dry conditions with over 35% of the state in Moderate Drought. The last time South Carolina saw similar numbers was the beginning of June of 2021 where 72% of the state was in at least dry conditions.
Going forward, things are not looking great for our forecast. Right now, there looks to be no chances of rain in the seven day forecast across the Midlands. While, this time of the year is typically the driest time of the year, the lack of any substantial rain chances will likely increase the coverage of drought over the next week or so.
