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After fighting against the elements for the better part of the past week, South Carolina forestry officials and firefighters – working alongside their federal and local counterparts – appear to be working in more favorable conditions this weekend as they try to contain a pair of raging wildfires known collectively as the Table Rock Complex.
The complex consists of the Table Rock Fire – which was allegedly sparked by “deliberate negligence” last Friday (March 21, 2025) – and the Persimmon Ridge Fire, which officials say was sparked by an accidental campfire escape last Saturday (March 22, 2025).
As of Saturday morning (March 29, 2025), the Table Rock Fire had consumed an estimated 10,904 acres while the Persimmon Ridge Fire had consumed an estimated 2,078 acres. All told, that’s 12,982 total acres – with the Table Rock Fire itself having officially surpassed the 2016 Pinnacle Mountain Fire as the biggest blaze in the history of the South Carolina Upstate.
The Pinnacle Mountain Fire consumed 10,623 acres in the same area of the Palmetto Upstate nine years ago. Many of the firebreaks erected in response to that fire have been used in efforts to get these blazes under control.
As of this publication, both the Table Rock Fire and the Persimmon Ridge Fire remain 0% contained – although firefighters made “significant progress” toward containment on Friday.
After experiencing exponential growth during the past week, both fires saw limited expansion on Friday (March 28, 2025).
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Latest update on the Table Rock Complex fires from Derrick Moore of the U.S. Forest Service. pic.twitter.com/tFNvRXEMVv
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) March 29, 2025
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“Not a lot of tremendous fire growth yesterday just a few hundred acres here or there,” U.S. Forest Service (USFS) incident commander Derrick Moore noted in his update Saturday morning. “No major concerns yesterday, no new issues from yesterday.”
According to Moore, firefighters have been focusing much of their attention on the northeastern quadrant of the Table Rock Fire in the hopes of protecting “the communities just east of the Table Rock Reservoir.”
“We’re going to continue that presence,” Moore noted. “A lot of focus, a lot of priority (is) being put into that area of course.”
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So far, there have been no injuries and no reported structural damage associated with the fires – however that could change depending on the prevailing conditions.
As for the Persimmon Ridge fire, Moore touted “significant progress” in battling that blaze – including the establishment of new firebreaks to the north of the conflagration.
“The plan is going to be to continue to improve these lines… both on the northeast corner and around the northern edge of the fire, just to make sure we hold that fire in its current footprint,” Moore said. “As of now, I don’t foresee any significant fire movement on the Persimmon Ridge Fire.”
Moore also expressed confidence in the “solid containment” of the southern and western perimeters of the fire.
Hopefully that means the 330 or so firefighters actively battling both blazes will be able to start reporting official containment percentages very soon.
For those of you unhip to firefighting lingo, “containment” refers to the percentage of the fire perimeter where those battling the flames are “confident that the fire won’t continue to spread,” according to S.C. Forestry Commission (SCFC) public information officer Holly Welch.
“When we say a fire is controlled, that means the fire is completely out or that the firebreaks are around the entire fire and are strengthened enough that firefighters are confident the fire will not escape those control lines,” Welch added. “Containment is the first step in controlling a fire.”
Those following our multi-day live feed on this emergency situation have been tracking the reporting of our Andy Fancher – who has spent the past week on the front lines of the Table Rock Complex. In case you missed it, Andy shared his perspectives during the first half of our latest live ‘Month in Review’ episode.
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Welcome to our live show! https://t.co/WdlFFOwFAi
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) March 28, 2025
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Weather conditions – including low humidity and high winds – have fueled the rapid growth of the complex. However, the real driver has been downed timber and limbs from last fall’s Hurricane Helene.
Fortunately, some rain is forecast for the weekend.
“Though not an ample amount, any precipitation is welcomed during this very dry period, especially with the ongoing wildfires,” an update from the National Weather Service (NWS) noted.
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience up to speed on the very latest developments related to these fires – as we have from the very beginning. Also, 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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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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2 comments
If you want a truly interesting story about the fire at Table Rock, speak to Mrs Mabel at Soapstone church. She can tell you all the history of the area. Soapstone church has a graveyard of slaves and settlers that set in that area. I grew up in Dacusville, an area a few miles away toward Greenville. She knows most of the families in the area. She is truly a treasure of the Soapstone, Oolenoy , and Pumpkintown area. Another guy, you’ll want to speak to us Buddy Cox aka Country Santa, who has an engineering business that closes in November and December so he can gather, sort, and deliver Christmas presents to over 3500 families in 5 counties on December 24th each year. He is truly an amazing man along with his wife who have done this for over 25 years.
He also knows many of the families in the area.
These two folks are extraordinary people who know the real life of this corner of our state. We call this God’s hidden corner for a reason you will soon realize what makes it so incredible. Mrs Mabel and Buddy can give you an insight of just how special that area really is.
Interesting that the Sheriff’s department is (with)holding information about the miscreants who started the Table Rock fire.