The threat from a wildfire in the Conway area is contained.

Forestry officials and Horry County Fire Rescue crews had the brush fire that flared up in Conway Wednesday night 100 percent contained by midafternoon on Thursday, but afternoon heat pushed up against the containment line and made keeping those areas cool a priority.

Scott Hawkins, with the S.C. Forestry Commission, said water-handling and earth-moving machinery were being employed to keep the fire at bay.

Firefighters originally were called to a brush fire on Meadowlark Lane, off Highway 548, around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and that fire continued to grow into the early evening.

The blaze had rekindled from a fire in the area during the weekend, officials said.

Horry County Emergency Management Director Randy Webster said six people were evacuated from their homes Wednesday, but were allowed back later that night.

The American Red Cross had opened a shelter at Conway High School. Three of the evacuees stayed there for a time, but no one spent the night, Webster said. The shelter was closed around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Temperatures forecast for today are almost identical to those Wednesday and Thursday.

The high will be around 91 degrees, winds peaking near 10 miles per hour in the afternoon and relative humidity levels dropping to around 45 percent by 3 p.m., according to Mark Bacon, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C.

Chief Garry Alderman, of Horry County Fire Rescue said Thursday morning that there were around 10 Horry County units and 30 firefighters working to contain the fire. Alderman said overtime was approved to make sure there were enough personnel to assist with the containment.

The assistant chief of operation was on the scene Wednesday night and had the authority to OK extra help if need be, Alderman said. The chief was out there Thursday morning and said he had no problem with using extra people.

In order to balance the division's proposed 2012 fiscal year budget, overtime for public safety was reduced.

Paul Whitten, assistant county administrator, told the Horry County Council at their spring budget retreat he reduced the overtime accounts of the departments that operate 24 hours a day - the police department, detention center and fire-rescue - by more than $800,000.

"There's a potential that response times will be slowed, as an average, because of the scheduling issues," Whitten previously said. "We're trying to minimize that and spread it all the way across the county."

Alderman said the department may have to bear it later on, but he had no problem with approving overtime to help out with Wednesday's fire.

"This is a circumstance that you've got to go do it," he said. "We never leave an area uncovered."

Contact BRAD DICKERSON at 626-0301.