Could massive Myrtle Beach area wildfires trace back to trash burn? What we know

The cause of the massive ongoing wildfire in the Carolina Forest area of Horry County remains unknown despite persistent speculation online, according to county and state officials.

The fire, which covers more than 1,600 acres of nonresidential land, began Saturday with several neighborhoods briefly being forced to evacuate, though no structures have been destroyed.

Rumors have swirled on social media that the blaze stems from someone within one of the evacuated neighborhoods was burning trash in their backyard and left the fire unattended, allowing it to spread due to powerful winds. Horry County has had a burn ban in effect since Thursday due to dry and windy conditions.

Horry County officials have seen this speculation and generally discourage spreading that rumor, according to county spokeswoman Mikayla Moskov. The cause will likely be determined after the fire is out, but containment efforts are still ongoing, she added.

Moskov was unsure prior to publication whether the investigation of cause would be led by Horry County Fire Rescue or the South Carolina Forestry Commission.

Doug Wood, a spokesman for the Forestry Commission, confirmed that the cause of the Carolina Forest wildfire is still under investigation. But he told The Sun News he wouldn’t be surprised if an unauthorized trash burn did start the blaze.

Escaped debris burn is the leading cause of wildfires in South Carolina, according to Wood, who noted it was the cause of the 2009 wildfire along Highway 31 in Myrtle Beach that consumed more than 19,000 acres and destroyed 76 homes.

“It’s our number one public message,” he said.

State law requires residents to notify the Forestry Commission of any planned burns, excluding a fire pit, so if the cause of this fire is traced back to an unauthorized burn, the person who initiated it can face a citation and fine, according to Wood.

“You’re on the hook, if you’re found liable,” he said.

This story was originally published March 3, 2025 at 3:01 PM.

David Weissman

The Sun News

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Investigative projects reporter David Weissman joined The Sun News in 2018 after three years working at The York Dispatch in Pennsylvania, and he’s earned South Carolina Press Association and Keystone Media awards for his investigative reports on topics including health, business, politics and education. He graduated from University of Richmond in 2014.