Fires Threaten Homes in Carolinas, Va.

More than 100 firefighters battling the blaze were frustrated by wind gusts of up to 30 mph that sent the flames jumping over parts of one highway. A fire destroyed a consignment shop before firefighters could douse the flames.

Joseph Schell got word about evacuations from one neighbor and, as smoke made it difficult to breathe, told another, "Get your dogs, get in your car, and get out of here."

Schell, 37, drove his wife, three children and husky named Jessica to a Baptist church being used as a shelter.

On the way, he said he saw firefighters dousing flames as they swept across yards. Several hours later, after the evacuation order was lifted, the Schells surveyed their neighborhood by flashlight, calling out to friends as they walked through the smokey air to make sure everyone was OK. Their home was fine, but fire had gutted one vacant house and melted the siding on others.

"Somebody was looking down on us today," said Deborah Schell, 39.

Red Cross officials planned to keep the church shelter open in case people could not get back into their homes.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported a brush fire reduced visibility to zero on Interstate 85 in northern part of the state, forcing police to reroute traffic onto a secondary highway.

All of North Carolina was under a red flag warning, meaning outdoor burning is prohibited. The warning stems from the passage of a strong cold front that whipped up the strong winds.

The eastern half of South Carolina was under a red flag fire warning Sunday, with winds gusting up to 30 mph and low humidity, according to the National Weather Service. The ground also is dry, which creates dangerous wildfire conditions.

Around South Carolina, 106 forest fires were reported by Sunday evening, state officials said.