republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
In early March 2025, numerous wildfires ignited across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia as a combination of strong winds, unusual dryness, and low humidity allowed the flames to spread rapidly.
These blazes followed a tumultuous year in the Carolinas, marked by a summer flash drought, followed by extreme flooding from hurricanes in September, and a return to dry conditions thereafter. Storms on March 5, 2025, helped to extinguish many of the remaining fires, but the Southeast fire season has only just begun. Wildfire specialists Lauren Lowman and Nick Corak from Wake Forest University provide insight into the fires and the region’s dry winter conditions.
What Caused the Surge in Wildfires in the Carolinas?
For much of North and South Carolina, the conditions have been either abnormally dry or under moderate drought since at least November 2024. Prolonged dry weather throughout winter has desiccated vegetation, creating ample fuel for the wildfires.
In extremely dry conditions, a single lightning strike or an uncontrolled fire, combined with gusty winds, can ignite wildfires.
While hurricanes caused significant flooding in the region during late summer 2024, preceding months saw the Carolinas struck by a flash drought.
Flash droughts are rapid-onset droughts that arise from insufficient rainfall combined with dry atmospheric conditions. When the atmosphere remains parched, it extracts moisture from vegetation and soil, causing the surface to dry out quickly.
In August and September, Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene brought extensive flooding to both states, but thereafter, the Carolinas received minimal rainfall, leading to another abnormally dry winter in 2025.
How Common Are Wildfires in This Region?
Historically, wildfires are relatively common in the Carolinas. They are a natural part of the ecosystem, and many natural habitats have evolved to rely on them.
Certain carnivorous plants, like Venus flytraps and pitcher plants, thrive on regular fire activity, which clears out overgrown shrubs and other taller plants that block sunlight. Additionally, some wildlife species depend on fire for both their habitats and nourishment from the array of native plants that flourish after a fire.
