Myrtle Beach, SC Wildfire

Southport, NC woke up this morning to the smell of smoke. Interestingly, there is nothing on fire in the Southport area. The cause of the smoke is a wildfire that started yesterday in Myrtle Beach, SC, a good 30-40 miles to the Southwest of Southport, North Carolina.

The smoke was so dense in some parts of Southport that it made breathing difficult. The smoke settled in, like a fog, in low lying areas. Reports indicate that it could take months to extinguish the Myrtle Beach fire and may even require the hand of Mother Nature, in the form of a tropical storm. Until the flames and smoldering are fully extinguished the surrounding areas will be at the mercy of the wind with regard to the smoke.

At this time over 15,000 acres and 70 homes have burned in the popular Barefoot Landing subdivision and to the West. Over 2,500 people have been evacuated and more evacuations are expected as the fire continues to march Eastward towards the more densely populated beach areas of Myrtle Beach. A fire of this magnitude has not been seen in this area since 1976 when over 30,000 acres burned.

Officials are unsure of the cause of this recent fire at this time. Yesterdays strong winds, however, certainly contributed to the size of this fire and the speed in which it spread. Winds gusted to 30-40 mph yesterday which made fighting this fire even more difficult. Firefighters were hoping the Intracoastal Waterway would act as a natural firebreak. If the fire jumps the Waterway the more populated areas and tourist attractions of Myrtle Beach will be in grave danger.

About Myrtle Beach:

Myrtle Beach is a very popular tourist destination located on the coast of South Carolina, just South of the North Carolina and South Carolina Border. Tourists from all over the country flock to Myrtle Beach year round for the warm climate and availability of restaurants and attractions. Myrtle Beach is widely known for it's World Class Golf Courses, Broadway Style Shows and, of course, The Myrtle Beach Motorcycle Rally, more affectionately known as "Biker's Week." Myrtle Beach is also home of the newest amusement park in the United States, Hard Rock Park, which, unfortunately, closed in September of 2008, citing financial problems, after only 9 months of operation.