Racepath Street home likely lost in morning fire, but not occupants after smoke alarm sounds off

Residents on Racepath Street in Myrtle Beach most likely lost their home in a fire early Friday morning, but not their lives thanks to a smoke detector provided by area fire departments and the American Red Cross.

Myrtle Beach Fire Department and Horry County Fire Rescue were called to a blaze about 5 a.m. Friday to battle a structure fire on the 1600 block of Racepath Street, said Bruce Arnel, battalion chief and fire marshal with the MBFD.

Arnel said the home had been included in a “smoke alarm installation blitz” at the beginning of the summer, and a smoke detector provided by MBFD, HCFR and the American Red Cross alerted occupants inside, giving them enough time to get to safety.

“It’s unfortunate that the house is probably lost, but it’s great that the smoke alarm gave the occupants time to escape the fire,” Arnel said.

Due to the high number of calls firefighters were receiving in the area, the Racepath community was provided with smoke detectors, Arnel said.

He said he did not believe any injuries had been reported in connection with the fire and said he wasn’t sure how many occupants were inside at the time it started, but knew everyone got out safely after the smoke alarm went off.

The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined.

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 7:45 AM with the headline "Racepath Street home likely lost in morning fire, but not occupants after smoke alarm sounds off."