MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Firefighters responded twice to a weekend yard fire that South Carolina officials believe rekindled four days later, igniting a wildfire that has destroyed 70 homes and continued to char 31 square miles near Myrtle Beach on Friday.
Officials said homes were threatened by the flames but late-Friday winds had not cause it to spread farther.
Meanwhile, the wife and neighbors of Marc Torchi, the man being fined for setting the yard fire, said county firefighters who responded twice Saturday to the small blaze should take the blame, not him.
"They came back again, put the fire out again and said we were all fine — ‘Don’t worry about it.’ And then four days later, the wildfire broke out,” said Torchi’s wife, Megan Brogan. She said the family was getting death threats.
Forestry Commission Forest Protection Chief Darryl Jones said it’s common for brush fires to appear to be out but then smolder underground and rekindle. However, he said, blame belongs to the person who set it.
The fire department didn’t start it, Jones said.
The blaze has scorched 20,000 acres but officials said Friday night that firefighters had it 80 percent contained after ridding the area of underbrush that serves as fuel. Breezes were keeping the fire inland, still away from the main tourist areas.
Crews continued to plow firebreaks into critical areas and burn underbrush and trees ahead of the blaze to rob its fuel. The state Forestry Commission hoped the winds would stay calm into today so they could make even more progress.
by the associated press
Officials said homes were threatened by the flames but late-Friday winds had not cause it to spread farther.
Meanwhile, the wife and neighbors of Marc Torchi, the man being fined for setting the yard fire, said county firefighters who responded twice Saturday to the small blaze should take the blame, not him.
"They came back again, put the fire out again and said we were all fine — ‘Don’t worry about it.’ And then four days later, the wildfire broke out,” said Torchi’s wife, Megan Brogan. She said the family was getting death threats.
Forestry Commission Forest Protection Chief Darryl Jones said it’s common for brush fires to appear to be out but then smolder underground and rekindle. However, he said, blame belongs to the person who set it.
The fire department didn’t start it, Jones said.
The blaze has scorched 20,000 acres but officials said Friday night that firefighters had it 80 percent contained after ridding the area of underbrush that serves as fuel. Breezes were keeping the fire inland, still away from the main tourist areas.
Crews continued to plow firebreaks into critical areas and burn underbrush and trees ahead of the blaze to rob its fuel. The state Forestry Commission hoped the winds would stay calm into today so they could make even more progress.
by the associated press
