SCWEATHER

LIVE FEED: Table Rock Complex Fire Updates

The latest updates and information on two rapidly expanding wildfires in the South Carolina Upstate…

by Jenn Wood1
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We’ve created this live feed to monitor the status of the Table Rock Complex – twin blazes in the mountainous Upstate region of South Carolina which continue to expand exponentially.

Downed timber, high winds and low humidity are fueling the rapid growth of the Table Rock Fire and the Persimmon Ridge Fire – the two blazes that forestry officials, firefighters, law enforcement, military and emergency responders are furiously battling.

The Table Rock Fire – currently the larger of the two blazes – began last Friday (March 21, 2025). It was allegedly sparked by the “deliberate negligence” of several teenage hikers, according to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). The Persimmon Ridge fire was sparked last Saturday (March 22, 2025) by an escaped campfire.

At last count, the two fires – located just a few miles away from each other – had consumed more than 10,671 acres. Both remain 0% contained.

The S.C. Forestry Commission is the lead agency responding to this increasingly precarious situation, which is poised to be the biggest fire in the Palmetto Upstate in nearly a decade.

Anyone with information, photos, videos, resource information or other materials they believe we should include in this live feed, please email tipline@fitsnews.com.

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THE LIVE FEED

(Latest updates load first, please scroll down for previous updates)

7:07 p.m. EDT: The 6:00 p.m. update from SCFC…

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2:12 p.m. EDT: South Carolina governor Henry McMaster provided an update on the wildfires raging in Upstate South Carolina. Governor McMaster commented on the size of the fire, noting, “We’ve never had quite a fire quite like this. We’ve had some big ones… What we’re facing here is—you’ve seen the movie, The Perfect Storm? Well, this might be the perfect fire…”

“There’s plenty of fuel [from Hurricane Helene],” he continued. “Then, here comes the fire. Here comes, we believe, some careless people. And we now have two big fires going and they’ve burned thousands of acres so far.”

“So far, we’ve had no structures lost… We’ve fortunate that we’ve not lost no structures because there’s plenty of them out there that could have been lost. But we’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s going to take a long time to get this contained. It is not contained now.”

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12:23 p.m. EDT: Another devastatingly beautiful shot from Fancher…

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11:18 a.m. EDT: For those worried about the effect of the fire retardant on the watershed, some helpful information from Greenville Water.

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10:13 a.m. EDT: The latest images from Andy Fancher…

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10:00 a.m. EDT: The latest operational update from SCFC just posted…

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9:30 a.m. EDT: In addition to his up-to-the-minute onsite reporting from the front lines of the Table Rock Complex, our Andy Fancher has also been providing our audiences with incredible images of this unfolding disaster.

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9:15 a.m. EDT: The new command leader of the Table Rock Complex response team – Derrick Moore of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) – provides an operational update on the twin fires.

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9:06 a.m. EDT: Here’s the latest update on the weather conditions firefighters will be facing today. “Elevated fire danger” persists. Statewide “Red Flag” burn ban remains in effect…

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THURSDAY (MARCH 27, 2025)

10: 38 p.m. EDT: SCFC has provided a daily update on their efforts to battle both the Table Rock Complex Fire and the Persimmon Ridge Fire.

“According to the latest infrared data obtained from a surveillance flight at 4:30 p.m., the Table Rock Fire is now estimated to be 8,679 acres, growing almost exclusively on the northern and western sides of the fire.

The Persimmon Ridge Fire grew to 1,992 acres today, but with most of the additional acreage the result of burnouts that crews were able to conduct between existing firebreaks and the active fire.

Weather conditions tomorrow are a concern for increased fire activity, as relative humidity is expected to fall to 23%, and wind gusts could reach nearly 30 mph.”

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10:18 p.m. EDT: Amazing video of a Large Air Tanker dropping fire retardant on the Table Rock Fire. Video taken from the Palmetto Cove RV Park.

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7:18 p.m. EDT: The latest images from Andy Fancher who is on the scene at the Table Rock Fire. According to Fancher, one firefighter noted the acreage listed in the fire does include controlled burns.

Persimmon Ridge Fire
Table Rock Fire
Table Rock Fire

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6:53 p.m. EDT: Updates from Greenville County Emergency Management including another opportunity to donate items to first responders…

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6:48 p.m. EDT: An update from Greenville Water, “The Table Rock Fire has expanded to approximately 5,000+ acres, and the Persimmon Ridge Fire now exceeds 1,500+ acres. Both fires remain at 0% containment. Additional resources have arrived, including a Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) to coordinate a larger response effort.”

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4:17 p.m. EDT: More video from Andy Fancher…

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4:12 p.m. EDT: Curious about what a ‘burnout operation is? SCFC explains in detail how the process works in this new video…

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4:08 p.m. EDT: Great video on Facebook from Earl Watters of a Chinook grabbing water to drop on one of the ongoing fires in North Carolina…

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4:05 p.m. EDT: Some new video from Andy Fancher at the frontlines of the fire that gives a sense of how the raging fire at Table Rock sounds.

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1:49 p.m. EDT: An update from Andy Fancher…

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1:22 p.m. EDT: According to the South Carolina National Guard, their aircraft have completed 410 water drops, delivering a total of 375,040 gallons of water — over half an Olympic size swimming pool — over 39 flight hours.

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12:49 p.m. EDT: The latest update on evacuations from Greenville County Emergency Management…

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12:17 p.m. EDT: For those who would like to donate supplies to first responders, a list has been provided of their primary needs. All donations can be taken to Market at the Mill from Wednesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Signs will be posted to direct you to the drop off location.

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9:46 a.m. EDT: SCFC has posted its daily operational update.

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9:18 a.m. EDT: The latest from the City of Greenville Facebook page…

8:20 a.m. EDT – The National Weather Service (NWS) just released the following update on conditions in the area, citing persistent low humidity as a factor in ongoing “increased fire danger.” This is definitely not the forecast firefighters were hoping to see…

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8:16 a.m. EDT – Some additional updates from the latest S.C. Forestry Commission release: There are now at least 170 personnel from the forestry commission, S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), S.C. National Guard (SCNG), S.C. State Fire, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Greenville Water, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) working with local law enforcement, fire and emergency responders to combat the blaze.

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8:03 a.m. EDT – Another image from our Andy Fancher, who was at base camp last night, showing ash cascading on vehicles in the area.

(Andy Fancher)

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WEDNESDAY (MARCH 26, 2025)

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10:27 p.m. EDT: The latest photos from Andy Fancher who is currently at the command center…

(Andy Fancher)

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10:23 p.m. EDT: The evening update from SCFC has just posted… The Table Rock Fire nearly doubled in size today, measuring 4,556 acres and the Persimmon Ridge Fire grew to 1,553 acres. Combined, the Table Rock Complex has now consumed more than 6,100 acres – making it nearly as large as the Pinnacle Mountain Fire, which consumed 10,623 acres in November 2016.

Both fires associated with the complex remain 0% contained.

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8:38 p.m. EDT: A video from the frontlines of a staging area for firefighters…

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8:24 p.m. EDT: For anyone who needs information about evacuation areas or plans, call 864-467-3428.

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8:09 p.m. EDT: The latest update from Andy Fancher who is at the Table Rock Fire command center:

“The Forestry Commission is considering moving the Table Rock command center. That comes as flames are growing visibly in the distance. We just watched some machinery dig a fire break right here at the command center.”

Notes from his latest conversation with forestry officials:

  • The fire jumped Highway 276 yesterday
  • They are unable to confirm any loss of structures yet
  • Approximately 4,000 acres have burned

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Table Rock fire from the command center (Andy Fancher)

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6:53 p.m. EDT: Our Dylan Nolan interviews Andy Fancher live from the Table Rock Fire compound.

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6:02 p.m. EDT: A view of the fire from the command center near Table Rock.

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5:44 p.m. EDT:

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4:31 p.m. EDT: An informative video from SCFC on fire containment lines.

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4:10 p.m. EDT: The latest photos from Andy Fancher…

Table Rock Camp & Retreat Center
Table Rock State Park Entrance
Holly Springs Country Store
Highway 11
Cendy’s Cafe
(photo credit: Andy Fancher)

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3:16 p.m. EDT: For those of you interested in the criminal investigation into the alleged “deliberate negligence” which sparked the Table Rock Fire, there’s really no new information available. According to our Andy Fancher, forestry officials are deferring all comment to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), which is investigating the incident with the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

“Members of the sheriff’s office declined any comment on scene,” Fancher reported. “The department has not responded to our official request for comment via email.”

Obviously in the event we get an update on those charges, we will share it with our audience…

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3:10 p.m. EDT: Our Andy Fancher is reporting that fire trucks are arriving from as far away as Clemson, S.C. Andy is also reporting that mom and pop gas stations are currently serving as forward operating bases for folks who have been forced to evacuate.

“An armada of personal vehicles are leaving the area with furniture, televisions, diesel tanks, etc.,” Fancher reported.

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3:02 p.m. EDT: Infrastructure impacts…

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2:57 p.m. EDT: Calls for evacuations are becoming increasingly urgent…

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2:28 p.m. EDT: SCFC announced the expansion of the mandatory evacuation zone.

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12:00 p.m. EDT: The daily update from SCFC operations chief Trey Cox.

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9:46 a.m. EDT: An update from our Andy Fancher who has been on-site in the Upstate documenting the fire in realtime for our readers.

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1 comment

Avatar photo
The Colonel Top fan March 28, 2025 at 10:14 am

Thanks for tracking all this Andy! Any idea what the “four teenagers” were doing that started this mess? Have they been charged?

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