Out of 45 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the highest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 45 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 19/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 158 |
Top 45 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (5yr) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horry | South Carolina | 36/100 | 2 | 19 |
| 2 | Charleston | South Carolina | 35/100 | 26 | 41 |
| 3 | Georgetown | South Carolina | 32/100 | 2 | 13 |
| 4 | Berkeley | South Carolina | 28/100 | 26 | 14 |
| 5 | Beaufort | South Carolina | 26/100 | 0 | 20 |
| 6 | Oconee | South Carolina | 25/100 | 4 | 12 |
| 7 | Dorchester | South Carolina | 24/100 | 8 | 12 |
| 8 | Colleton | South Carolina | 24/100 | 1 | 8 |
| 9 | Orangeburg | South Carolina | 24/100 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 | Williamsburg | South Carolina | 23/100 | 26 | 8 |
| 11 | Dillon | South Carolina | 23/100 | 2 | 6 |
| 12 | Bamberg | South Carolina | 22/100 | 0 | 5 |
| 13 | Pickens | South Carolina | 21/100 | 1 | 14 |
| 14 | Sumter | South Carolina | 21/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 15 | Richland | South Carolina | 20/100 | 13 | 36 |
| 16 | Anderson | South Carolina | 19/100 | 4 | 18 |
| 17 | Aiken | South Carolina | 19/100 | 2 | 26 |
| 18 | Marion | South Carolina | 19/100 | 2 | 8 |
| 19 | Edgefield | South Carolina | 19/100 | 2 | 7 |
| 20 | Greenville | South Carolina | 19/100 | 1 | 30 |
| 21 | Calhoun | South Carolina | 19/100 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | York | South Carolina | 18/100 | 9 | 18 |
| 23 | Cherokee | South Carolina | 18/100 | 2 | 6 |
| 24 | Clarendon | South Carolina | 18/100 | 0 | 9 |
| 25 | Florence | South Carolina | 18/100 | 0 | 10 |
| 26 | Jasper | South Carolina | 18/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 27 | Lexington | South Carolina | 17/100 | 13 | 18 |
| 28 | Marlboro | South Carolina | 17/100 | 2 | 7 |
| 29 | Kershaw | South Carolina | 16/100 | 3 | 8 |
| 30 | Chesterfield | South Carolina | 16/100 | 3 | 7 |
| 31 | Barnwell | South Carolina | 16/100 | 2 | 5 |
| 32 | Spartanburg | South Carolina | 16/100 | 0 | 32 |
| 33 | Abbeville | South Carolina | 15/100 | 2 | 7 |
| 34 | Saluda | South Carolina | 15/100 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Hampton | South Carolina | 15/100 | 0 | 14 |
| 36 | Lee | South Carolina | 14/100 | 0 | 4 |
| 37 | Union | South Carolina | 14/100 | 0 | 7 |
| 38 | Darlington | South Carolina | 14/100 | 0 | 7 |
| 39 | Allendale | South Carolina | 14/100 | 0 | 4 |
| 40 | Chester | South Carolina | 13/100 | 0 | 5 |
| 41 | Fairfield | South Carolina | 13/100 | 0 | 5 |
| 42 | Greenwood | South Carolina | 13/100 | 0 | 7 |
| 43 | Newberry | South Carolina | 12/100 | 0 | 6 |
| 44 | Lancaster | South Carolina | 12/100 | 0 | 8 |
| 45 | Laurens | South Carolina | 12/100 | 0 | 10 |
Methodology
County rankings for South Carolina based on average smoke risk score and fire frequency.
Data sources: National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), EPA AirNow. Last updated: 2026-06-04.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is wildfire smoke risk calculated?
Smoke risk scores (0-100) combine multiple factors: proximity to recent wildfires, county fire frequency over the past 5 years, historical smoke days, and geographic position relative to typical fire corridors. Higher scores indicate greater smoke exposure risk during fire season.
How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?
Use a HEPA air purifier indoors, wear N95 or KN95 masks outdoors during smoke events, seal windows and doors, and monitor AirNow.gov for real-time air quality. Create a clean room in your home with the purifier running and windows sealed.