Investigators: Murrells Inlet restaurant blaze began on back deck, cause unclear

A Fat Tuesday celebration at Dead Dog Saloon on Murrells Inlet’s waterfront ended hours before flames from what authorities say was an accidental fire ravaged the business.

The band Tru Sol had the crowd engaged and singing along with them during the cover of the single “The Roof is on Fire” by Rock Master Scott and The Dynamic Three the night before the blaze, said Sheryta Spears, a singer with the band.

“We had them chanting ‘the roof, the roof is on fire.’ We had them chanting the whole time and little did we know it was going to be on fire for real,” Spears said Wednesday after learning the business had been destroyed in the early morning fire. No one was injured.

The fire was reported at 4:17 a.m. Wednesday at the popular Marshwalk restaurant at 4079 U.S. 17 Business, said Norman Knight, chief of Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Rescue.

Assistant chief Danny Lussier said investigators determined the fire was accidental and originated on the back deck of the restaurant.

“It started on the back deck, but there were several factors involved,” he said. “They had open burn pits that they were using up until midnight … plus it’s an open deck with a bar and smoking. This was just too widespread to definitely tell. It could’ve been a cigarette. It could’ve been a lot of things, but arson is certainly not one of them.”

He said there were natural gas lines under the deck that sped up the burn until officials arrived and turned the gas off.

The blaze had been burning for a while when firefighters arrived and found heavy fire coming from the center of the building. Restaurant employees reported leaving the building about 2 a.m. Wednesday, he said.

Fire crews worked for about 30 minutes to get the blaze under control and had assistance from firefighters with Midway and Surfside Beach departments, Knight said. Because of the equipment and fire hoses across the roadway, officials closed U.S. 17 Business in the area for about five hours during the incident.

“We had a large volume of fire when we got here,” Knight said. “The fact that it butts up on the Marshwalk itself hindered us a little bit. We were able to get an elevated stream and lines on the Marshwalk to get to it.”

Owners of the business could not be immediately reached Wednesday for comment about plans for rebuilding the structure, but they had posted on the marquee in front of the business that they would “be back, bigger and better. Our spirit lives.”

Much of the building was destroyed and the outdoor deck facing the marsh only had part of its frame standing. The Marshwalk was not damaged during the fire and crews doused a live oak tree that had been surrounded by decking during the fire, but its trunk was black and charred.

As word about the fire spread in the fishing community, neighboring restaurant employees mourned the loss of the popular gathering spot.

“It was heartbreaking. They’re our neighbors. Most of us practically live at our jobs. These people are our family. It was very devastating,” said Chastity Watson, an assistant manager at Creek Ratz. “Most of us do go back and forth between restaurants, so we’re family.”

Sue Sledz, the executive director of Murrells Inlet 2020, said she was out of town early Wednesday and didn’t hear the news until the afternoon.

“We hate it for the community. We hate it for Charlie and his family. We hate it for all the employees. We just hate to see stuff like this to happen,” Sledz said. “It’s terrible. It’s a sad time for everybody involved.”

The restaurant hosted a Mardi Gras costume contest Tuesday night as part of the Mardi Gras Festival held along the Marshwalk.

In addition to various Mardi Gras festivities live music was provided by band Tru Sol and Spears said they started playing about 7 p.m. and finished their set around 11 p.m.

“It was a good turnout. It was a good crowd,” Spears said. “That’s one of the easiest places to entertain a crowd. They already had the reputation of having people come out and party. You can always come out and find a band on stage. People are always going to come there and eat good food and find good entertainment.”

After being notified about the blaze Wednesday, Spears said the band may not play “The Roof is on Fire” again. They had previously played it many times at various venues including Dead Dog, she said. But a few years ago the band played the song while at the Causeway Bar and Grill and Spears said a nearby business caught fire that night too.

“Right after I heard I called our guitar player and told him we’ve got to stop doing that one,” Spears said.

Travis S. Worthy, band leader of Soul Function Band, also has spent many evenings playing live music at Dead Dog, he said. The band’s contract with the business ended this year and they have been playing at other establishments.

“I remember one particular show where last season, it was our second show there and nobody would leave, it was packed. The deck was shaking. I could feel it shake. We just kept playing,” Worthy said. “We have a lot of great memories there.”

Playing at Dead Dog translated to other paying gigs across the Carolinas, Worthy said.

“So many people have hired us because of the spirit of what the Marshwalk brought and Dead Dog. I played so many gigs because of being there,” Worthy said and noted he exclusively played there for about five years. “There will be music again and there will be another Dead Dog. Even though the physical things leave, there are the memories and the emotion. My heart goes out to the employees of Dead Dog and my heart goes out to the people whose vacations will be interrupted without it.”