Firefighters from across Gaston County are battling a large woods fire in the Stuart Ridge area of Cramerton, authorities reported Monday. Officials described the situation as "a very active incident" and are urging the public to avoid the area while emergency crews work to contain the blaze.

Firefighters have fully contained a large brush fire that broke out in a wooded area of Cramerton on Monday, the North Carolina Forest Service said. On Monday, March 3 eight different agencies contributed to fighting the fire,

Multiple fires across North and South Carolina were still burning on Tuesday after more than 170 erupted across the two states over the weekend. Emergency personnel are working to contain the blazes.

South Carolina has declared a state of emergency as wildfires in the Carolinas and Georgia scorched thousands of acres and forced people to leave their homes