From Staff Reports

PICKENS, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was one of more than a dozen state and local officials who gave updates on the Table Rock Complex fires on March 27 during a media availability near Table Rock State Park in Pickens County.

“You’ve seen the movie ‘The Perfect Storm.’ Well, this might be the perfect fire,” McMaster said about the converged fires in the Upstate.

He noted that the Table Rock wildfires grew significantly March 27 — estimated to have burned more than 8,679 acres and is growing on the northern and western sides of the blaze. 

The Persimmon Ridge fire also spread, but not as fast, covering about 2,000 acres. According to the South Carolina Forestry Commission, most of the additional acreage resulted from burnouts that crews could conduct between existing firebreaks and the active fire, he said.

At the March 27 gathering, the governor reiterated that the state remains under a burn ban and violators will be prosecuted. 

“People need to be careful and don’t do these things,” McMaster said. 

The Greenville News noted, “Pickens County officials suspect four teens were negligent and started the Table Rock blaze on March 22. The burn ban was issued a day earlier.”

About 545 firefighters are battling the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge blazes.