Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina have recently fallen victim to manmade wildfires that started at Table Rock State Park, allegedly due to improperly snubbed cigarettes. Three men and a teenager have been arrested in relation to the crime. The wildfires are now at 100% containment, but many are still worried about the long-term impacts, especially considering the areas are still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
We spoke to Pickens County resident Lucia Ramos-Calleros to ask how she believes the fires should be handled.
First, we asked her, do you think the fires should concern South Carolina and North Carolina residents?
“Certainly, yes. It is no longer surprising to see the correlation between climate change and environmental disasters, although it is entirely frightening. The disasters we’ve experienced within the last 12 months is unparalleled, and it is only going to get worse the longer our governments neglect the expanding crisis in our hands. Education for climate change needs to be reinforced, and our fellow Carolinians need to be cognizant of the impact it has on our Earth,” Ramos-Calleros echos the concerns of many residents who feel the recent natural disasters are a warning signal that we need be more responsible in relation to how we use our natural resources and the land we live on.
Next, we asked how she thinks the fires will affect Upstate South Carolina since the community is still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
“For these vulnerable populations, recovery hasn’t been achievable following Hurricane Helene, and the devastation following the wildfires is only going to make it tenfold. The fires have presented a unique challenge in isolation and resource restriction that, although seen before during Helene’s aftermath, presents itself as more dangerous with the fires. For these communities, wildfires have not presented themselves as a threat wary of caution within the last decade, yet with the abundance of high winds, dry brush, and debris from Helene, it only took an ember to make a dangerous flame.” The Pickens resident calls attention to the struggling communities, many of which have already been experiencing an arduous period due to Hurricane Helene, which is now worsening due to the wildfires.
Only time will tell how Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina will be able to recover after these treacherous months.
