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Wildfires in Myrtle Beach
I'm going down there next week and wanted to know if it was safe at ShoreCrest.
from South Carolina blaze rages in Myrtle Beach area - CNN.com
(CNN) -- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford declared a state of emergency
Thursday for a coastal county where a wildfire has consumed thousands of
acres and destroyed dozens of homes.
A fire engulfs the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, area Wednesday in a photo
from iReporter Pete Venuto.
A fire engulfs the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, area Wednesday in a photo
from iReporter Pete Venuto.
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1 of 2
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"This has already proved to be a devastating event for Horry County, and it
isn't over," Sanford said in a statement.
The county is home to some of the state's most popular tourist spots,
including the Myrtle Beach area.
The fire jumped a highway late Wednesday or early Thursday near North
Myrtle Beach and began consuming some of the houses in the Barefoot
Resort area, said William Bailey, North Myrtle Beach's public safety director,
at a Thursday morning news conference.
Bailey said authorities banged on doors of homes to alert people to
evacuate. He said he wasn't certain how many people had left but put the
number at about 2,500. Video Watch footage of coastal areas in flames ยป
Bailey said workers were making progress against the blaze. "There are some
hot spots [in the Barefoot Resort area]; it's been a very unpredictable
situation, but right now we've got a good grip on it," he said.
At the same briefing, North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley said, "When
we got our last report [Wednesday], we had no idea that it would be
crossing over into the Barefoot Resort area. The fire kind of created its own
weather, and it just started the wind spinning."
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Nick Gentile, 64, told The Myrtle Beach Sun News he left his Barefoot Resort
home around 2 a.m. Thursday. "They came around with a police car with a
loudspeaker," he told the newspaper, still wearing his blue-plaid pajamas.
"You always read about stuff like this, but you never know when you are
going to be in it."
Air National Guard helicopters were expected to arrive Thursday morning for
water drops, Hatley said. She said an assessment would be conducted
Thursday afternoon to determine how many homes were damaged or
destroyed.
Evacuated residents would be allowed back into their homes as soon as
authorities had determined the area was safe, she added.
The National Weather Service issued a dense smoke advisory for the county
until 8 p.m. ET. Thick plumes billowed high above buildings, prompting North
Myrtle Beach officials to close schools Thursday, CNN affiliate WPDE-TV in
Myrtle Beach-Florence reported.
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Officials have not determined a cause for the fire, which began about noon
Wednesday in Conway.
No injuries have been reported from the fire, which the South Carolina
governor said has consumed 15,000 acres.
from South Carolina blaze rages in Myrtle Beach area - CNN.com
(CNN) -- South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford declared a state of emergency
Thursday for a coastal county where a wildfire has consumed thousands of
acres and destroyed dozens of homes.
A fire engulfs the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, area Wednesday in a photo
from iReporter Pete Venuto.
A fire engulfs the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, area Wednesday in a photo
from iReporter Pete Venuto.
Click to view previous image
1 of 2
Click to view next image
"This has already proved to be a devastating event for Horry County, and it
isn't over," Sanford said in a statement.
The county is home to some of the state's most popular tourist spots,
including the Myrtle Beach area.
The fire jumped a highway late Wednesday or early Thursday near North
Myrtle Beach and began consuming some of the houses in the Barefoot
Resort area, said William Bailey, North Myrtle Beach's public safety director,
at a Thursday morning news conference.
Bailey said authorities banged on doors of homes to alert people to
evacuate. He said he wasn't certain how many people had left but put the
number at about 2,500. Video Watch footage of coastal areas in flames ยป
Bailey said workers were making progress against the blaze. "There are some
hot spots [in the Barefoot Resort area]; it's been a very unpredictable
situation, but right now we've got a good grip on it," he said.
At the same briefing, North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley said, "When
we got our last report [Wednesday], we had no idea that it would be
crossing over into the Barefoot Resort area. The fire kind of created its own
weather, and it just started the wind spinning."
Don't Miss
* iReport.com: Are wildfires affecting you?
* WMBF: Thousands of acres burn in South Carolina
* Texas couple perish while evacuating wildfire
Nick Gentile, 64, told The Myrtle Beach Sun News he left his Barefoot Resort
home around 2 a.m. Thursday. "They came around with a police car with a
loudspeaker," he told the newspaper, still wearing his blue-plaid pajamas.
"You always read about stuff like this, but you never know when you are
going to be in it."
Air National Guard helicopters were expected to arrive Thursday morning for
water drops, Hatley said. She said an assessment would be conducted
Thursday afternoon to determine how many homes were damaged or
destroyed.
Evacuated residents would be allowed back into their homes as soon as
authorities had determined the area was safe, she added.
The National Weather Service issued a dense smoke advisory for the county
until 8 p.m. ET. Thick plumes billowed high above buildings, prompting North
Myrtle Beach officials to close schools Thursday, CNN affiliate WPDE-TV in
Myrtle Beach-Florence reported.
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Officials have not determined a cause for the fire, which began about noon
Wednesday in Conway.
No injuries have been reported from the fire, which the South Carolina
governor said has consumed 15,000 acres.
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