Fire damages Murrells Inlet home Wednesday night

A blaze that may have been caused by lightning devoured most of a single-family home in Murrells Inlet, and the two people inside made it out to safety after being alerted by neighbors.

According to Captain Jerry Howerton, Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Department crews were called out to battle the blaze at a home on Devonshire Lane in the Blackmoor community about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday - a night plagued by severe weather.

Two residents were warned about the fire by concerned neighbors and were able to get some belongings and their vehicles out of the garage in time, Howerton with MIGCFR said.

“The fire was knocked out fairly quickly even though it was a large fire,” he said. Crews extinguished the blaze, but remained on scene until about 1 a.m. doing overhaul and putting out hot spots, Howerton said.

He said the family has been displaced by the fire that charred about half the house, but thankfully no one was injured. He also said the fire may have been ignited by a lightning strike, but the cause is still under investigation.

Horry County Fire Rescue, Surfside Beach Fire Department, and Midway Fire Rescue all provided aid during the blaze.

This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 7:39 AM with the headline "Fire damages Murrells Inlet home Wednesday night."