South Carolina governor declares state of emergency as wildfires erupt

Governor Henry McMaster declared a State of Emergency as a series of wildfires raged across the US state of South Carolina, Report informs via NBC.

More than 175 fires were burning in South Carolina, the governor's office said, fueled by unusually dry conditions and gusty winds. Those conditions are expected to fade as a cold front pushes out the dry air mass over the Southeast US and brings rain by Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

In Horry County, the Horry Fire had burned 1,600 acres by Sunday afternoon, according to a South Carolina Forestry Commission fire summary. It was among six major fires still burning in the state, according to the summary.

People in eight neighborhoods were forced to evacuate as several fires raged in Horry County, officials said. Soldiers with the South Carolina Army National Guard used two Blackhawk helicopters to drop water 600 gallons at a time on the blazes, the South Carolina National Guard said.