Wildfires in North and South Carolina fueled by drought, wind and fallen trees from Hurricane Helene

Dry conditions, wind and trees downed by Hurricane Helene fueled wildfires in North Carolina and South Carolina, where evacuation orders were in effect Tuesday.

Many people in the area are still getting over the hurricane that hit in September, according to North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Bo Dossett.

“A lot of the damage and the blowdown, the downed trees from Hurricane Helene are contributing to the difficulties that our firefighters are facing trying to contain this fire and so that has just been kind of one ongoing crisis from September all through into the spring for a lot of these residents,” Dossett said. “This is one more thing that they’re having to deal with on top of what they experienced back in the fall.”

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for parts of the South Carolina Upstate, western North Carolina and northeast Georgia through Tuesday night, as conditions were expected to be favorable for the rapid spread of wildfire with lingering dry air and winds picking up to 10 to 20 mph (16 to 32 kph) and gusting 25 to 35 mph (40 to 56 kph).

Mandatory evacuations were in effect for 146 properties in rural Polk County on Tuesday, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Charlotte, North Carolina, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon. Three fires there have burned at least 9.6 square miles (25 square kilometers) in that county and in neighboring Henderson County as of Tuesday, and the two larger fires are uncontained, according to the forest service. Officials released maps Tuesday that show evacuation zones in the two counties.

The Black Cove Fire is one of the larger blazes. Officials said a downed power line sparked that fire, but the causes of the other two fires are under investigation.

Henderson County has issued voluntary evacuation orders and opened an emergency shelter. Volunteer fire departments were on standby, Henderson County spokesperson Mike Morgan told WLOS-TV.

“Especially near some of the homes where if the fire did jump, we can be there to help protect those homes,” Morgan said. “We’re here to monitor the situation very closely.”

Two fires were burning in the mountains of South Carolina. The fires in Table Rock State Park and nearby Persimmon Ridge have burned a combined 2.3 square miles (5.9 square kilometers), the South Carolina Forestry Commission said. Officials said both fires were ignited by human activity and neither were contained as of Monday night.

No injuries were reported, and no structures were imminently threatened as of Monday night, but voluntary evacuations were issued for about 100 homes over the weekend. On Tuesday morning, the forestry commission updated an earlier announcement to say no evacuations were planned near the Persimmon Ridge Fire, but residents were urged to be prepared to leave their homes if an evacuation is suggested in the future.

“The weather over the next few days remains concerning, as relative humidities are expected to remain very low, and the forecasted wind speeds will still be conducive to spreading the fire,” the forestry commission said.

Dry weather and millions of trees knocked down by Hurricane Helene last year are creating a long and active fire season in the Carolinas, according to North Carolina State University forestry and environmental resources professor Robert Scheller. Scheller predicted this busy fire season if the region saw dry weather after the hurricane.

“Helene just dropped tons of fuel on the ground,” Scheller said. “Then these flash droughts allow that fuel to dry out very fast.”

Despite recent rain, most of the Carolinas are abnormally dry or experiencing a moderate drought, according to federal monitors.

This story has been corrected to show that officials were not recommending evacuations near the Persimmon Ridge Fire, but residents should be prepared to leave their homes if one is suggested.

Firefighters prepare to fight the wildfires in Polk County, N.C., on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (WLOS-TV via AP)

Smoke from the wildfires fill the sky in Polk County, N.C., on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (WLOS-TV via AP)

Firefighters prepare to fight the wildfires in Polk County, N.C., on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (WLOS-TV via AP)

In this March 23, 2025, photo released by the U.S. National Guard shows a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion, 59th Aviation Troop Command, McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover executing its fire suppression mission in support of the South Carolina Forestry Commission at Persimmon Ridge Fire near Greenville, S.C. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)

In this March 23, 2025, photo released by the U.S. National Guard shows a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion, 59th Aviation Troop Command, McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover executing its fire suppression mission in support of the South Carolina Forestry Commission at Persimmon Ridge Fire near Greenville, S.C. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An appeals court in South Korea overturned an election law conviction against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung Wednesday, potentially clearing the way for him to mount a presidential campaign.

The courtroom victory comes as the country's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol could face an early exit due to his short-lived imposition of martial law and surveys show Lee, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party who narrowly lost the 2022 election to Yoon, is the early favorite to replace him.

Yoon, a conservative, has been suspended from office since the liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly impeached him over his Dec. 3 martial law decree plunged the country into political turmoil. The Constitutional Court is deliberating on whether to formally dismiss or reinstate him. If he's removed, there will be an election to replace him within two months.

On Wednesday, the Seoul High Court overturned Lee's conviction for making false statements during his 2022 presidential campaign, canceling his suspended sentence of a year in prison. Lee still faces four other criminal trials, none of which are likely to be resolved soon.

Lee was convicted by the Seoul Central District Court in November of making false statements about a controversial land development project launched when he was a city mayor, and about his relationships with a subordinate who killed himself after being embroiled in a scandal surrounding another development project.

Under South Korean law, anyone who receives a fine exceeding 1 million won ($683) for election law violations is barred from running for elections for five years, and anyone who receives a prison sentence, including suspended sentences, cannot run for 10 years.

Lee might be able to become president despite his conviction in lower-level courts, as the prohibition does not go into force until all appeals are exhausted and as president he would have immunity from most criminal prosecution. Still, observers say that if the appellate court had upheld his conviction it could have posed a significant political challenge.

After the ruling, Lee appeared outside the court and thanked the court for making “a right ruling based on truth and justices” as his supporters shouted his name. Lee accused the Yoon government and state prosecutors of having fabricated evidence against him.

The court said that prosecutors have seven days to appeal Wednesday’s verdict to the Supreme Court, the top court in South Korea.

Yoon's ruling People Power Party expressed strong regret over Wednesday's ruling, saying the Supreme Court must rule quickly on an appeal.

Police officers stand guard as demonstrators stage a rally demanding the arrest of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung near the Seoul High Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Demonstrators stage a rally demanding the arrest of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung near the Seoul High Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. The letters read, "Immediately arrest Lee Jae-myung." (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Demonstrators stage a rally demanding the arrest of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung near the Seoul High Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. The letters read, "Immediately arrest Lee Jae-myung." (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Lee Jae-myung, center, leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, arrives at a court in Seoul, South Korea, March 26, 2025. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Lee Jae-myung, second right in front, leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, arrives at a court in Seoul, South Korea, March 26, 2025. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Lee Jae-myung, center, leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, arrives at a court in Seoul, South Korea, March 26, 2025. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Lee Jae-myung, center, leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, arrives at a court in Seoul, South Korea, March 26, 2025. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Lee Jae-myung, center, leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, arrives at a court in Seoul, South Korea, March 26, 2025. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)