SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Wildfire smoke drifting north from Georgia triggered a multi-county air quality alert across the Upstate on Wednesday, with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services warning residents in 36 counties — including Spartanburg and Union — that fine particulate concentrations could reach or exceed unhealthy levels.
The alert, which remained in effect through Thursday morning, was driven by southerly winds on the west side of high pressure that steadily pushed smoke from numerous active wildfires in central and southern Georgia toward South Carolina. The South Carolina Forestry Commission said in a public statement that the haze blanketing parts of the state was most likely connected to those Georgia wildfires. Conditions had been deteriorating since early Wednesday, with smoke becoming noticeably heavier into the evening and overnight hours.
Northern and Southern Spartanburg County were both listed among the affected zones. Other impacted areas included Anderson, Greenville, Pickens, Oconee, Laurens, Union, Greenwood, and Abbeville counties. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp had already declared a state of emergency for 91 Georgia counties in response to the wildfires, directing the Georgia Forestry Commission and other agencies to mobilize response resources in the southern part of that state.
The Newberry County Sheriff’s Office posted a note on social media after its 911 center fielded multiple calls about smoke smells in an area with an active burn ban. The office reported it had no active fires in its area and no prescribed burning underway, and said its own research attributed the smoke to several large wildfires in Georgia being carried north by strong south-to-southwest winds aloft.
SCDES advised anyone with respiratory conditions — including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or heart disease — to limit time spent outdoors and move activities inside. The agency also recommended keeping windows and doors closed and running air conditioning with a clean filter and the fresh-air intake closed to reduce exposure to fine particles. Healthy adults engaging in prolonged outdoor exertion may also be affected during an elevated particulate event, the agency said.
The alert marked a rare mid-spring air quality disruption for the Upstate, a condition more typically associated with winter temperature inversions. Spartanburg County sits roughly 250 miles from the Georgia fire zones, but meteorological conditions allowed the smoke to travel efficiently at altitude before settling into ground-level air. Residents are encouraged to check the SCDES air quality forecast at des.sc.gov for conditions before spending extended time outside.
