Charleston, SC – Fire danger is climbing across the Lowcountry and parts of southeast Georgia this afternoon as critically low humidity combines with ongoing drought conditions. The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a Fire Weather Alert for areas west of I-95, where minimum relative humidity is expected to fall to between 20 and 25 percent through early evening.
According to the NWS Charleston office, inland winds will remain light, generally 5 to 10 mph, but the extremely dry air will allow any spark to spread quickly in grassy or wooded areas. Even along the coast, humidity values between 30 and 45 percent will keep conditions unusually dry for late October. The agency urges residents to check with local fire officials before conducting any outdoor burning.
While winds may increase slightly near the sea breeze boundary this afternoon, forecasters stress that the combination of low humidity and persistent drought creates an elevated wildfire risk across interior portions of Colleton, Jasper, and Beaufort counties in South Carolina and adjacent counties in southeast Georgia.
According to state forestry officials, recent rainfall has been too limited to improve soil moisture, leaving vegetation highly receptive to fire spread. Outdoor burning, including yard debris or field clearing, should be delayed until higher humidity returns later this week. Residents are also reminded to fully extinguish cigarettes and avoid parking vehicles on dry grass.
Though temperatures will remain seasonable, the air mass remains very dry, signaling continued fire danger into midweek if no rain develops.
