Table Rock State Park fire continues to burn; public urged to stay away

The wildfire at Table Rock State Park in Pickens County, South Carolina, continues to burn. Officials from several different agencies are providing updates on the fire. >>Watch a live camera of the fire HEREWe will post all those updates here as they come in: Monday 9 a.m. update from Pickens County: Air and ground operations were temporarily suspended overnight. The fire has now burned over 1058 acres. Yesterday 3 miles of back burning was completed, more controlled back burning continues today. Residents may notice an increase in fire behavior. Engine and brush truck crews are staged to protect property in the area. Dozer crews and hand crews made good progress yesterday and will continue constructing fire lines around the Dry Lake Road area, extending to the Greenville Water System property. Air operations are scheduled to resume this morning. Evacuations remain in effect at this time. No further evacuations are expected. Residents are advised to remain aware of the situation by monitoring local news and social media and be prepared to evacuate if it should become necessary. Table Rock State Park has closed all trail systems, White Oaks Campground, Lake Oolenoy, Lake Pinnacle and day use visitation until further notice. Heavy traffic along SC Highway 11 has hampered response and caused hazardous driving conditions. Heavy smoke conditions along the road have compounded difficult travel along the route. Residents and motorists should avoid the area. As a precaution, the Grant Overlook is closed at this time. Citizens are reminded that the statewide burn ban remains in effect until further notice. The county recycling center near Table Rock will be closed Monday.Sunday 6:30 p.m. update from Pickens County: Emergency agencies continue to work to contain the wildfire at Table Rock State Park. The fire has now burned over 1000 acres. The back burn operation has been successful throughout the day, and will continue into Sunday night. Residents may notice an increase in fire behavior during this time due to the darkness. Firefighters manning fire engines and brush units will remain on scene to monitor this situation, and protect property near the site. Tractor crews and hand crews made good progress throughout the day constructing fire lines to contain the fire utilizing some lines that were established during the Pinnacle Mountain fire of 2016. Debris left by Hurricane Helene has made this process difficult. Limited air operations will continue until sundown. Evacuations remain in effect at this time. No further evacuations are expected. Residents are advised to remain aware of the situation by monitoring local news and social media and be prepared to evacuate if it should become necessary. Table Rock State Park has closed all trail systems, White Oaks Campground, Lake Oolenoy, Lake Pinnacle and day use visitation until further notice. Heavy traffic along SC Highway 11 has hampered response and caused hazardous driving conditions. Heavy smoke conditions along the road have compounded difficult travel along the route. Residents and motorists should avoid the area. As a precaution, the Grant Overlook is closed at this time. Citizens are reminded that the statewide burn ban remains in effect until further notice. Citizens who wish to help through donations may drop off items at the Holly Springs Fire Department at 2239 Moorefield Memorial Highway, Pickens, SC. Items needed are bottled water, snacks including fresh fruit, socks, Chapstick, eye drops, bandanas, sinus wash solution, safety glasses, baby wipes & batteries. The county recycling center near Table Rock will be closed Monday. Sunday 2:20 p.m. update from the Forestry Commission: “Firefighters are planning a large-scale burnout operation of 100-150 acres on the Table Rock Fire today. This backfiring operation, undertaken to eliminate the fuel between the evacuated residential areas and the active wildfire, will encompass the eastern side of Table Rock. The planned burnout of several thousand acres will put a great deal of additional smoke in the air in northern Pickens County. Motorists traveling in the area are urged to use caution and avoid SC Hwy 11, and people with respiratory conditions are encouraged to stay indoors.” Also, the SC National Guard is sending one of their Blackhawk Helicopters to help with fire suppression.Sunday afternoon update from the Forestry Commission.Forestry Commission officials estimate the Table Rock Fire, which ignited Friday, has grown to more than 300 acres and continues to expand. The steep terrain is limiting access to the area by heavier equipment typically used to establish containment lines around the original fire. Spot fires continue to spark new ignitions outside of the original fire area. Exacerbating the situation is an abundance of downed timber from Hurricane Helene, which has increased the fuel load on the mountain. Voluntary evacuations of approximately 100 residences remain in effect just east of Table Rock State Park; no further evacuations are necessary at this time, although residents in the surrounding areas are advised to monitor local news and social media if conditions warrant. Firefighters are planning a large-scale burnout operation of 100-150 acres on the Table Rock Fire today. This backfiring operation, undertaken to eliminate the fuel between the evacuated residential areas and the active wildfire, will encompass the eastern side of Table Rock. The planned burnout of several thousand acres will put a great deal of additional smoke in the air in northern Pickens County. Motorists traveling in the area are urged to use caution and avoid SC Hwy 11, and people with respiratory conditions are encouraged to stay indoors. Multiple local fire departments will be performing structure protection as wildland firefighters work to improve firebreaks and cut down snags (dead trees) in advance of the burnout, which will make use of firebreaks established during the Pinnacle Mountain Fire in this same area in 2016.The aircraft that were being used to drop water on the Table Rock Fire have been diverted temporarily to another new wildfire, named the Persimmon Ridge Fire, of approximately 50 acres that ignited in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area between Caesars Head State Park and Jones Gap State Park Saturday. The water-dropping operations will resume on the Table Rock Fire after the burnout has been completed. Nearly 100 personnel from the South Carolina Forestry Commission, SC State Fire, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Greenville Water, the USDA Forest Service, SC Department of Natural Resources (DNR), SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Pickens County EMD and local fire departments continue working to contain the fire. REMINDER: A statewide burning ban issued yesterday at 6 p.m. remains in effect until further notice. A State Forester’s Burning Ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard debris burning, prescribed burning, campfires, bonfires and other recreational fires in all unincorporated areas of the state.FIRE BACKGROUND: Human-caused / March 21, 2025 / Table Rock State Park, 13 miles north of Pickens, S.C.FIRE SIZE: 300+ acres, as of March 23, 2025CONTAINMENT: 0% EVACUATIONS: ~100 voluntary evacuations on east side of Table Rock State Park FIRE CREWS/RESOURCES: More than 100 personnel from SCFC, SC State Fire, TNC, Greenville Water, the USDA Forest Service, DNR, SLED, Pickens County EMD and local FDsINJURIES: No injuries have been reported.STRUCTURES: No structures are imminently threatened at this time.CLOSURES: Table Rock State Park and all of its trails are closed until further notice, as are all trails at Caesars Head and Jones Gap State Parks. Sunday afternoon update from Doug Wood for the Forestry Commission. He says that the fire has spread to over 300 acres as of this morning and is zero percent contained.Over 90 resource officersRoughly 100 homes threatened and under a voluntary evacuation.Roughly 500 homes are being watched in areas that are currently non-imminent but on their radar.No volunteers are currently neededThe main message he wants to get out is for people to please stay away from the area right now. Sunday morning update from Pickens County sheriff:In a Facebook video Sunday morning, Pickens County Sheriff Tommy Blankenship asked that people keep traffic moving on Highway 11.The sheriff said no one should park alongside the road because first responders will need access as back burn parts of the region to get rid of forest fire fuel.The public still does not have access to homes on the Northside, according to Blankenship, who says first responders spent the night protecting them.Saturday evening update from Pickens County officials:Pickens County officials say aerial and ground operations continue on top of Table Rock. A spot fire has started between Table Rock and the Stool. Additional ground crews will be taking over operations into the evening. Aerial operations will continue until sundown, and enhanced aerial operations will begin tomorrow morning. A fire break has been established at High Low Gap.The White Oak campground has been evacuated. At this time, there are no other evacuation orders for this area. However, the public is advised to remain prepared in case an evacuation becomes necessary.Out of an abundance of caution, local fire officials are calling for voluntary evacuations of residents who live on eight roads in close proximity to Table Rock Mountain. Those roads are:Country Creek DriveWeaver Creek TrailKatijah LaneLynne WayDry Lake RoadCurtis WayShepherd Springs DriveGnome Hill Lane Officials are going door-to-door to make residents aware of the call for voluntary evacuations and also working to establish a nearby evacuation center yet to be determined. Residents on these roads are not in immediate danger but are being notified of the possibility of the eventual spread of the Table Rock Fire to their vicinity.The Table Rock Fire, which ignited Friday, is estimated at 35-plus acres and continues to grow.While more than 30 personnel from the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the Nature Conservancy, Greenville Water, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and local fire departments are working to contain the fire, the steep, mountainous terrain is making it difficult for firefighters to access the active fire and establish more effective firebreaks.Four aircraft have been providing aviation support all day, including one SCFC airplane surveying the fire, two SCFC single-engine air tankers dropping water and one SLED helicopter using a Bambi bucket to drop water. Officials are hoping to add more air resources tomorrow as the situation evolves.Greenville Water issues statement on fire:”Greenville Water is closely monitoring the ongoing wildfire originating at Table Rock Park, which has now spread onto the Greenville Water watershed property. Our highest priority remains the safety of the public, emergency personnel, and the protection of our critical source water areas.””We strongly urge residents and travelers to stay clear of Highways 11 and 276 to ensure emergency responders have unobstructed access to affected areas. It is imperative that these routes remain open and safe for firefighting operations and emergency support services.We are actively collaborating with local, state, and federal emergency management agencies to support firefighting efforts and protect our watershed. Greenville Water has mobilized additional resources to assist emergency teams in managing and containing the fire.””Additionally, Greenville Water emphasizes the importance of complying with the current burn ban. Due to dry conditions, strong winds, and heightened wildfire risks, the burn ban is critical to preventing further spread of fires and protecting both the environment and community safety. “Saturday afternoon update from Pickens County officials:On Friday, March 21, 2025, at approximately 5:45 p.m., the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a call from law enforcement officers who were searching for Stephanie Womacks — who went missing earlier this month — reporting a fire at Table Rock State Park. The location of the fire trapped the deputies and a number of hikers for a period of time. Fortunately, the presence of emergency personnel from the sheriff’s office and Table Rock State Park allowed them to account for and rescue everyone with no injuries.Personnel from Pickens County Emergency Services Fire Division, the South Carolina Forestry Commission, Table Rock State Park and the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene to begin fire suppression operations. Air operations were able to make a water drop and begin containing the fire while hand crews began accessing the fire. Crews remained on scene until 2 a.m. Saturday, March 22. Currently, 40 personnel from Pickens County, the South Carolina Forestry Commission, the U.S. Forest Service, Greenville Water System, South Carolina State Fire and the Greenville County Emergency Response Team are on scene beginning day operations that will consist of continued water drops from Forestry Commission air tankers and a helicopter from the State Law Enforcement Division, as well as ground crew operations to construct fire breaks around the fire.The fire is currently contained to the top of Table Rock and has burned approximately 10 acres. At this time, no evacuations are expected. However, people living in the area should remain vigilant and prepared should they become necessary. Updates will be provided throughout the day as the operations progress.As a precaution and to allow for fire operations, all trail systems at Table Rock State Park are closed, and the public is asked to avoid the area around Table Rock. Residents may see an increase in smoky conditions in the area throughout the day.The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Forestry Commission Law Enforcement Division. Four teenagers have been questioned, and charges are pending.Citizens are reminded that a statewide outdoor burning ban is in effect for the entire state until further notice.Saturday morning update:The Pickens County sheriff says two negligent hikers started a fire, and his deputies just barely escaped.That wildfire is burning at Table Rock State Park in Pickens County, South Carolina.According to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were searching for Stephanie Womacks when they were barely able to escape the flames. Officials say two hikers are accused of starting the fire due to negligence. Deputies say the hikers have been identified, and charges will be announced at a later date.Madeline Stewart with the South Carolina Forestry Commission said crews are working to gather information on the fire’s acreage. Stewart said she deployed two planes to fly over the area and dump water on the fire. South Carolina State Parks said in a park advisory that all trails at Table Rock are closed until further notice.Officials say the volunteer search for Womacks scheduled for Saturday has been canceled due to the fire.