Wildfire smoke brings air quality alert in Horry County. When will smoke end?
An air quality alert has been issued for Horry County as wildfire smoke continues to blanket the area.
The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services issued the alert for fine particulates due to wildfire smoke from Marion County and lingering smoke in the Conway area. The alert is through Wednesday.
Conway residents have reported a thick, blanket of smoke in the area, as well as ash that has covered vehicles and homes.
Calm, stagnant weather conditions are limiting smoke dispersion, especially overnight and in the morning. Improvements are expected by Wednesday midday, according to the SCDES.
Residents with respiratory conditions should limit outdoor activity. Keep windows and doors closed and use air conditioning with fresh-air intakes closed if possible.
The wildfire that started along the Horry/Marion county line has spread from 200 acres to 1,750 acres. The fire, which was 100% contained, is now only 60% contained as of Tuesday, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission’s live wildfire page.
Residents in Horry County are expected to continue seeing smoke and ash throughout the week.
Horry County Fire Rescue has said that it is monitoring the fire.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission posted on Facebook Tuesday that it had conducted a large burnout Monday in Marion County to remove fuel from the advancing wildfire. That fire resulted from the reignition of a prescribed burn originally conducted in early March in the Woodbury Wildlife Management Area managed by SC DNR.
The wildfire was burning in an area with limited access and boggy conditions that made it difficult for firefighting dozers to operate, so the burnout was conducted to remove fuel between the advancing front of the fire and nearby roads that provide a safer place for firefighters to work. Contrary to media reports, the fire never escaped the burnout perimeter, the post said.
The forecasted weather supported conducting a burnout; however, the smoke from the operation encountered a temperature inversion that held smoke close to the ground and drifted eastward over Conway and beyond into North Carolina.
With an intensifying drought, smoke from this fire is expected to be a prolonged concern, the forestry commission said.
This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 9:49 AM.
