Cars, boats, barns burned by fires in Myrtle Beach area

After an active day of fighting area fires Monday, Horry County fire and state forestry commission officials are urging residents not to conduct any outdoor burning over the next couple of days because of windy weather conditions.

Fires across the county included blazes that destroyed two barns, several cars and a couple of boats.

"It is critical that people not burn because the conditions are good for a fire," said Garry Alderman, fire chief of Horry County Fire Rescue. "We are taking every precaution necessary to protect the residents of Horry County. It is imperative that when weather conditions such as these arise, that we refrain from burning in order to prevent and control wildfires in our area."

Weather officials issued a fire warning Monday for residents in Horry and Georgetown counties and Brunswick County, N.C.

Increasing winds and low humidity are increasing the risk of fire, according to an alert from the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C.

Winds reached 15 to 25 mph Monday with gusts at times up to 35 mph. The next few days, especially today, are expected to be similar with the low humidity, but winds will be tamer, said Rick Kreitner, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Dry, windy conditions kept Horry County fire crews busy Monday as they and forestry commission officials responded to fires throughout the county.

As of 5:17 p.m. Monday, Horry County had eight fires out of thetotal 32 fires in the Pee Dee area, said Scott Hawkins, S.C. Forestry Commission's spokesman.

As of 5:22 p.m., 13 of those fires were still active, he said.

"It's been a very active day for the agency and local fire crews," Hawkins said.

"As a cash-strapped agency, we're really relying on the public to pay attention to the weather" and any outdoor burning, he said.

Around 11 a.m. Monday a brush fire along U.S. 701 North near S.C. 22 destroyed a barn and threatened a home, Alderman, of Horry County Fire Rescue, said.

Crews then were called at 1:30 p.m. to the 4600 block of S.C. 905 near Havenwood Path for a brush fire that damaged two boats and nine vehicles and destroyed another barn, Alderman said.

A portion of S.C. 905 was closed to traffic because of smoke from that fire.

No one was hurt during that incident before firefighters got the blaze under control, Alderman said.

Mike Laware, who lives across the street from where the barn was destroyed on S.C. 905, said he saw the fire and smoke and thought it was a house fire after his girlfriend told him that someone was burning something.

Laware said he went over to the house to make sure no one was home. He said the first fire unit was pulling up as he went over to the house. No one was home, but he moved the homeowner's dog out of harm's way.

Fire crews were also called to 4110 Socastee Blvd. at 2:30 p.m., for a single-family home that was on fire, said Leslie Yancey, spokeswoman for Horry County Fire Rescue.

Firefighters found flames showing from the house when they arrived and it was destroyed. Traffic along S.C. 707 was stopped during the incident.

Firefighters from Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet Garden City Fire District provided mutual aid during the incident, Yancey said.

One person was taken to a hospital from the scene, but details were not available Monday.

The causes of the fires are under investigation, according to authorities.

Conway firefighters also are investigating an incident that occurred earlier Monday at Conway Middle School.

Firefighters were called about 10 a.m. to Conway Middle on 1104 Elm St. for an air handler on the roof above the cafeteria with a small fire inside it, Conway Fire Rescue Capt. Jeremy Carter said.

Firefighters contained the fire to the air handler.

All students, faculty and staff at the school were safely evacuated, said Teal Britton, Horry County Schools' spokeswoman.