House fires, disasters keep local Red Cross volunteers busy and stretch resources

With four fires within the last week in Horry County and a subtropical storm looming Friday off Myrtle Beach’s coast, American Red Cross officials say their volunteers and resources have been working overtime to meet the needs of residents.

“We’re stretched and our resources are very thin. We can’t forget that we live in an area that is susceptible of large-scale disasters,” said Nanci Conley, executive director for the Eastern South Carolina chapter of the Red Cross.

There are six volunteers on standby in case officials decide an emergency shelter must be opened for Subtropical Storm Ana, which is lingering off the coast and is expected to come ashore on Sunday.

But in addition to storms, Red Cross officials have been busy with three house fires this week and a 10-unit apartment blaze a week ago, officials said.

“Our volunteers have been incredibly busy; they have done a phenomenal job in meeting the needs of the clients … but between meeting the needs of the everyday home fire and planning for the future we are very stretched,” Conley said.

Horry County firefighters were called Thursday evening to a single-family home in Carolina Forest where heavy damage was reported to the home, said Brian VanAernem, Horry County Fire Rescue spokesman. The cause of the blaze on Highfield Loop in Berkshire Forest remains under investigation. No one was injured.

Two fires occurred this week in North Myrtle Beach, including one Thursday morning at a home in the Barefoot Resort and Golf community, officials said. That fire was caused by a battery that malfunctioned in a remote control used to operate blinds inside the home, said Pat Dowling, city spokesman.

The other blaze was reported about 10 a.m. Wednesday at a home on Golfview Drive, Dowling said. That fire was caused by electrical issues in the home.

A week ago, May 8, an improperly discarded cigarette started a blaze at an apartment complex in Island Green Country Club in the Murrells Inlet community, VanAernem said.

Red Cross officials helped those fire victims as well as 91 families, including 293 people, from July 1, 2014, to April 30, Conley said.

“The largest disaster across this country is home fires,” Conley said.

The average cost is $1,275 for the Red Cross to provide for a family of four following a house fire, which includes their basic immediate needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and medication or eyeglass replacements, Conley said.

Because of the increased need, Conley said the need for volunteers and financial support is essential for the chapter to continue to respond in a timely manner to disasters.

“We are there for the families, but how quickly we get there is depending on our volunteers,” Conley said. “It is so much better for those we serve if we have trained volunteers in every community.”

But not every volunteer must be out in the field going to disasters at all hours of the day and night, she said. Volunteers also are trained and mentored by others during their service.

“The most critical person in this organization is the person who sits at that front desk and answers the phone,” Conley said. “There are a lot of different things people can help us out with. … We need well-trained volunteers that allow those people who have had the most devastating event of their life to move on and heal.”

Not only does the Red Cross need volunteers for disaster response, but those who can cook during events, such as when emergency officials spent Christmas searching for a young boy who wandered away from a relative’s home in the North Myrtle Beach area, she said.

Red Cross officials also organize blood donation events, holiday dinners for the community and other events.

To get more information making a donation or to register to be a volunteer go to the Red Cross website.

This story was originally published May 8, 2015 at 10:41 AM with the headline "House fires, disasters keep local Red Cross volunteers busy and stretch resources."