Investigator suspects arson in Big D’s fire

An arson investigator has ruled the fire that gutted a 33-year-old barbecue restaurant early Wednesday morning was suspicious.

Horry County Police Department is now investigating the blaze at Big D’s Bar-B-Que as possible arson and is asking anyone with information about the fire to call its tip line at 843-915-8477, according to a release Thursday from HCPD.

Horry County Fire Rescue responded to the fire at Big D’s at 350 George Bishop Parkway after an Horry County police officer spotted flames and smoke at 2:30 a.m. and called it in.

Firefighters found flames licking the building when they arrived, Horry County Fire Rescue Lt. Julius Graham told The Sun News on Wednesday.

The fire resulted in a total loss of the popular eatery that had been in operation on the property since 1982. Kay Davis, wife of owner Russell Davis, told The Sun News on Wednesday it was too soon to say whether the restaurant there would be rebuilt.

“Our customers and friends have been a blessing to us. There’s a lot of negative out there on social media sometimes, but it’s times like this you see how much people really do care,” Davis said Wednesday, adding she noticed an outpouring of support on social media.

Big D’s has long been a local’s favorite, renowned for its buffet, barbecue, and fried chicken. The restaurant had garnered high marks for popular travel and review websites, like http://Yelp.com and http://Tripadvisor.com where it received four out of five stars.

Davis said she and her husband got a call about the fire about 2:30 a.m. and both headed to the business.

“It was a shock. It’s really not something you expect,” she said.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Investigator suspects arson in Big D’s fire."