Governor Henry McMaster of the US state of South Carolina declared a state of emergency Sunday as wildfires in the Carolinas and Georgia scorched thousands of acres and forced people to flee their homes, NBC News reports.

More than 175 fires were burning in South Carolina, the governor's office said earlier Sunday, fueled by unusually dry conditions and gusty winds.

Besides Horry County, fires have affected an estimated 4,200 acres across the state, including in Spartanburg, Union, Oconee and Pickens counties.

Deadly wildfires had swept through Southern California in early January. California Governor Gavin Newsom had asked the US Congress for nearly $40 billion in aid to help rebuild Los Angeles and the surrounding area after these devastating fires.