S.C. Wildfire Destroys 70 Homes

Fire, Spread Over 23 Square Miles, Threatens Tourist Hotspot Myrtle Beach; But No Inuries Reported

(CBS/AP)  South Carolina's biggest wildfire in more than three decades - a blaze 4 miles wide - destroyed dozens of homes Thursday and threatened some of the area's world-famous golf courses at the height of the spring tourist season.

The flames, fed by tinder-dry brush, forced hundreds of people to flee, and some took shelter in the House of Blues honkytonk.

The fire approached Route 17, the main coastal road that links beachfront towns and is lined with fast-food restaurants, beachwear stores and trinket shops. By Thursday evening, the flames were about 3 miles west of the highway.

The blaze scorched about 23 square miles over the past two days and then veered north, heading away from the high-rise hotels that line Myrtle Beach.

There were no reports of injuries, and authorities said they had not determined what sparked the flames.

Acrid smoke formed a plume 3,000 feet high and shifting winds have been the wildcard so far, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann.

Overnight, 30 mph winds and lingering humidity sprayed hot embers onto lawns and homes. In the dead of night, hundreds of families along a four-mile stretch were startled awake by firefighters and told to get out. Daylight showed dozens of homes in ruins.

Fueled by dry underbrush and highly combustible swamp peat, the blaze destroyed about 70 homes and damaged 100 others. The flames forced authorities to evacuate 2,500 people.

The fire jumped the Carolina Bays Parkway, a busy six lane highway in North Myrtle beach. The high winds pushed flames toward the Intercoastal Waterway, which firefighters hope will act as a natural firebreak and protect the much more densely populated vacation spots to the south in Myrtle Beach, Strassmann reports.

Much of the damage was concentrated at Barefoot Landing, a sprawling complex of houses, condominiums and golf courses separated from the main route through Myrtle Beach by the Intracoastal Waterway.

"The house is completely gone," said Rachel Plaga, a 38-year-old nurse, who later began sobbing. "It was like Armageddon back there. There was nothing. Everything was gone. My whole life. My kid's whole life. It was horrific."

Another woman who broke down in tears had to be helped to a seat by a Red Cross worker.

After they were evacuated, some 200 residents spent the rest of the day in and around the nearby House of Blues, where officials gave them updates. Hours later, they were ushered inside to watch a video of the fire damage because they were not yet allowed to return to their homes.

Just a few miles south along the coast, people were unaffected. Golfers kept their tee times and tourists spread out on the beaches. Hotel managers, who offered vouchers to the evacuees, said they could not even smell the smoke.

The fire started several miles inland Wednesday, near subdivisions and golf courses that have been carved from forest and swamps over decades. On Thursday, state forestry officials said they issued two citations to someone for starting a fire that got out of control, but it was unclear whether that person had started the massive blaze.

The fire could burn for weeks. Dense vegetation here called Carolina Bays is so lush, so much fuel for fire, only a sustained heavy rain might put it out., reports Strassmann.

[skyk-2009]

skyk-2009 - This forum is no place to spread your racism!
Posted by swami545 at 2:53 PM : Apr 23, 2009

What Racism?? There was no racism in ANYTHING I said. I know because I've been fighting the Klan and the Radical Right for most of my adult life... so I KNOW RACISM.

[skyk-2009]

Maybe you looked so wacked out that they were worried about you, Then again, they might have just been going the same way you were and thought you were following them. No accounting for the movement of the human individual, is there?
Posted by ToolMangler1 at 4:27 PM : Apr 23, 2009

How I "looked", acted or talked was absolutely NONE of their business. I never approached these freaks, I never even spoke to them. Maybe you people are slow, it certainly appears to be that way, but I, for one, am NOT going to have American's fighting this kind of thing in other countries and allow it to go on here!

[skyk-2009]

Your attitude for your situation was understandable. However, the post you were responding to broached the subject of tolerance by religion. That posters' statement suggested more than harassment by fanatics.
Posted by LithiumDeuteride at 12:36 PM : Apr 23, 2009

These WERE NOT fanatics in any sense of the word or at least THEY and those who support them didn't consider them to be so. They were from a local church and were INTENT on spreading the "Word of God" to all... the words "who wanted to hear it" was NEVER part of the process.

[skyk-2009]

I am always amused by the comments made by people trying to make themselves look good and make others look bad by comparison. The common thing these days is People of any religious faith, It use to be gays and lesbians, before that it was inbibers of anything alcoholic. They should learn to accept responsibility for their own actions and quit blaming God or whoever for what happens.
Posted by ToolMangler1 at 4:39 PM : Apr 23, 2009

I think the person makes and EXCELLENT point when you look at the comments of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell after the attacks of 9/11 that point becomes CRYSTAL CLEAR!!

[ToolMangler1]

Considering that this area is the "Anchor of the Bible Belt" perhaps God is sending the fire to tell you that you have it all wrong? Perhaps you should really start practicing love and tolerance and give up your sinful hypocrisy? But wait! If you did that, you'd have to change all your beliefs and actions. Noooooooooooooo.
Posted by Slrman at 9:54 AM : Apr 23, 2009




I am always amused by the comments made by people trying to make themselves look good and make others look bad by comparison. The common thing these days is People of any religious faith, It use to be gays and lesbians, before that it was inbibers of anything alcoholic. They should learn to accept responsibility for their own actions and quit blaming God or whoever for what happens.

[ToolMangler1]

These FREAKS followed me from shop to shop until I finally gave up and left. Disgusting creatures...all of them.
Posted by skyk-2009 at 12:02 PM : Apr 23, 2009



Maybe you looked so wacked out that they were worried about you, Then again, they might have just been going the same way you were and thought you were following them. No accounting for the movement of the human individual, is there?

[swami545]

skyk-2009 - This forum is no place to spread your racism!

[newmark3]

skyk-2009 what does the color of the president has to do with if he will give money to aid South Caroline stupidazz. I wonder what would Bush would have done. We are in a recession moron because of the last 8 years of money stealing and greed. Why don';t you go down to SC help out since you are worried about what the black prez is going to do.

[skyk-2009]

Just curious slick but what exactly was it that the you wanted the fine religious folks to be more tolerant of that effects you personally? That judge not thingie works both ways princess.
Posted by LithiumDeuteride at 10:25 AM : Apr 23, 2009

Hey lets start by NOT shoving your religion down the throat of others. I was in a Mall a few weeks back and some people from some Wacked Out Religious Group approached me with some Jesus T-Shirts. No thanks I said, I like to keep my religious beliefs personal was my response. These FREAKS followed me from shop to shop until I finally gave up and left. Disgusting creatures...all of them.

[skyk-2009]

God bless the first-responders and keep the residents out of harm's way. Such a beautiful part of our nation to be ravaged by these fires. What a tragedy.
Posted by credibility2 at 11:03 AM : Apr 23, 2009

You are so right! I wonder if that Extremist Right Wing Governor will allow Federal Help now...given it's coming from a Black Prez?

[credibility2]

God bless the first-responders and keep the residents out of harm's way. Such a beautiful part of our nation to be ravaged by these fires. What a tragedy.

[ubrew12]

What happened to 'April showers bring May flowers'??

[sly_64]

Wow, the police actually did something they are paid to do ? Wow. they must have lost a lot of money from not writing tickets.

[Slrman]

Considering that this area is the "Anchor of the Bible Belt" perhaps God is sending the fire to tell you that you have it all wrong? Perhaps you should really start practicing love and tolerance and give up your sinful hypocrisy? But wait! If you did that, you'd have to change all your beliefs and actions. Noooooooooooooo.

[jennasmith]

i'm going to Myrtle Beach in a few weeks, hope it's still there when I arrive!

[quapawsix]

Was probably started by someone flipping a cigarette out the window of their vehicle. That's what some tourists and people do. I ride a motorcycle and I see this happening all the time.

[displeased]

Oh wait - you mean to tell me that the earth's temperature peaked in 1998 and has been decreasing ever since? Oh.
Posted by Obama_the_Clown

Just to educate you a little bit, regardless how difficult the task...according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2005 was the warmest year, since reliable instrumental measurements became available in the late 1800s, exceeding the previous record set in 1998 by a few hundredths of a degree. However, data provided by the World Meteorological Organization and the Climatic Research Unit concluded that 2005 was the second warmest year, behind 1998. Temperatures in 1998 were unusually warm because the strongest El Nino occurred during that year.

[madpostman]

The ignorance of some people is amazing, not to mention, extremely asinine. Ever stop to realize that some people have relatives in the immediate area?!

Guess not, that would require thinking.

[talk_down_2_you]

I'm so glad appointed Mrs. Nonentity Assistant God and named her SpokesGod for planet Earth.

[mrs_entity]

God is sending fire to cleanse this area of sinners.