Did a fire damage an historic Myrtle Beach roller coaster? What we know
A fire started Wednesday on the decking of a Myrtle Beach roller coaster during work on the amusement ride.
Myrtle Beach Fire Department responded to the fire on the Swamp Fox Coaster at Family Kingdom Amusement Park about 7:30 p.m., according to a Facebook post from the park.
A contracted company was working on replacing decking on the Swamp Fox when some wood was ignited while cutting bolts, the post said. The fire was extinguished with no damage to the coaster, the post said.
The maintenance crew was able to handle the fire before the fire department responded, according to a text from Capt. Jon Evans with the Myrtle Beach Fire Department.
The amusement park is currently closed for the season.
The Swamp Fox is one of the few remaining wooden roller coasters in the country. It opened in 1966, along with the park, which was called Grand Strand at the time. The coaster was named for the Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion.
It is 72 feet and features about 2,400 feet of track. It has undergone upgrades and renovations over the years, including having to be restored after the park and coaster was damaged during Hurricane Hugo in September 1989.
The park and coaster remained closed from the next two seasons until it was reopened under new owners in 1992.
