Wildfire strikes Horry County

Strong winds on Tuesday and Wednesday sparked a coastal wildfire in Horry County near North Myrtle Beach, forcing residents to flee approaching fires in the middle of the night. Governor Mark Sanford declared a state of emergency for the area Thursday, which has consumed 10,000 acres. All North Myrtle Beach schools are closed due to the thick smoke in the area. As the wildfire runs through Carolina Bays, which are filled with dense vegetation, the fire burns very hot and is hard to control with firebreaks. S.C. Forestry Commission spokesman Scott Hawkins said, "Once you get a fire in a bay, it's very very hard to put out." Lowcountryoutdoors.com has stated on numerous occasions that South Carolina is not immune to the types of wildfires that have occurred more regularly in Georgia and Florida, and endorses a strong S.C. Forestry Commission as the vanguard of our fire-fighting efforts. Most people do not know about the aging equipment the S.C. Forestry Commission uses on these fires, due to years of tight economic times which have left this state agency with little surplus funds. Unfortunately for the homeowners who have lost everything in this current wildfire, it may take a signal such as this to restore the S.C. Forestry Commission to its proper status as friend to the public and defender of our homes from wildfire. Controlled burning like prescribed fire is one solution to head off wildfires, and the public needs to be more informed about the benefits of this land management tool - and accept that the occasional smoke from a prescribed fire is always better than the terrifying reality of a wildfire in our Lowcountry outdoors.

For more blog entries about prescribed fire click here.