HORRY COUNTY, S.C. — Multiple evacuation orders remain in place, Sunday, and other Carolina Forest neighbors are urged to monitor alerts as crews continue their efforts to control a 1,200-acre wildfire in Horry County.
The news comes as Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on Sunday due to these and other wildfires across the state.
Horry County Fire Rescue shared a 10 a.m. update on the fire and the work of more than 400 personnel fighting to contain it. Evacuations in the Carolina Forest area near Myrtle Beach were put into place on Saturday. Several remained in place on Sunday and, according to fire officials, likely will remain.
Based on fire and weather conditions, Horry County Fire Rescue announced that evacuations in the Indigo Bay, Farm, Summerlyn, Spring Lake, Covington Lakes, Waterford, Walkers Woods and Avalon neighborhoods would likely remain in place.
And while unlisted neighborhoods were not under evacuation orders at the time, all residents in the Carolina Forest region were urged to monitor the forecast, register for Code Red emergency alerts, and have a “go-bag” should they need to evacuate.
Horry County Fire Rescue said personnel would remain in place until the fire is contained.
Photos and videos across social media have shown flames and smoke in the region. Despite this, officials said the wildfire had damaged no structures, and no injuries had been reported.
As of 11 a.m., two fires in Horry County were listed as active on the South Carolina Forestry Commission’s website: a 1,200-acre fire in the Covington Drive area and a 300-acre fire in the Blackthorn Drive area. However, the latest status update on the Blackthorn Drive fire was at 8:38 p.m.
The South Carolina Forestry Commission has also issued a statewide burn ban due to current conditions, with Governor McMaster warning residents that “you can and will go to jail for starting a fire outdoors in South Carolina.”
Forestry officials reported that over 100 wildfires ignited in the state on Saturday alone, fueled by dry and windy conditions.