‘I need help, fire!’ Family receives call from woman who died in Horry County house fire
A 63-year-old woman was identified by family members as the person who died in a house fire that happened Thursday night in Nichols.
Martha Bibbee called her niece Nikki Huggins asking for help before the phone cut off, Huggins said Friday while at the scene of the deadly fire.
“I need help, fire!” Huggins said of Bibbee’s call before it ended. “I could hear flames crackling in the background.”
Horry County Fire Rescue responded to the fire at 7:48 p.m. Thursday on Highway 917 near Farguson Road in Nichols.
Bibbee lived in the home with another niece and a nephew, who were not home at the time.
She was found in the bedroom with two chihuahua dogs beside her, family said.
Family believes the fire may have started in the kitchen.
Bibbee’s sister Debra Causey said she had a heart condition.
“She couldn’t get out,” Causey said. “It was already too bad by the time she realized what was going on.”
The home was heavily damaged, according to a Facebook post by Horry County Fire Rescue.
The fire is under investigation by Horry County Police and the South Carolina Fire, the post said.
The roadway was shut down as fire crews worked to battle the fire before getting it under control about 10 p.m., the post said.
Loris Fire Department and Mullins Fire and Rescue also responded.
This story was originally published March 1, 2024 at 6:24 AM.
