What caused the Myrtle Beach forest fire?

Right now, the serene coastal town of Myrtle Beach, known for its sandy beaches and vacation charm, is battling a raging forest fire that refuses to be tamed.

It’s a stark reminder of how quickly nature can flip the script on us, especially when the conditions are just right — or rather, all wrong. Then again, fires like this are never just “bad luck.” They’re the result of a perfect storm of environmental neglect and a planet that’s getting hotter and drier by the year.

What happened in Myrtle Beach?

Located in the heart of South Carolina’s Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach is a coastal city that thrives on tourism. The place wasn’t always the tourist mecca it is today, though. Back in the early 20th century, it was a quiet, largely undeveloped stretch of coastline. The development boom didn’t really take off until the 1950s and 60s, when the area started marketing itself as a vacation destination. 

Over the years, it’s transformed into a bustling hub of activity, but that growth has come at a cost. The natural ecosystems that once thrived here have been pushed to the sidelines, and now, with climate change making everything hotter and drier, those ecosystems are fighting back in the form of wildfires.

On the night of March 1, a fire erupted in Carolina Forest, an inland, suburban community just a short drive from the bustling beachfront. The fire spread with terrifying speed, doubling in size overnight from 600 acres to a staggering 1,200 acres by the morning of March 2. The sheer force and speed of the flames left little room for error, forcing residents in nearby homes to evacuate with barely enough time to grab their essentials.

Has the fire been contained?

At the time of writing, the fire in the Carolina Forest area is still raging, with zero containment reported. With dry vegetation and unpredictable winds still at play, every effort seems to be met with more challenges. Crews from across the region, including the South Carolina Forestry Commission, have been called in to help. Cooler temperatures and weaker winds overnight may give them a slight edge, but the sheer scale of the fire means control is still far off. Roads near the fire zone are being closely monitored. However, the thick smoke makes travel dangerous, even for emergency responders.

This isn’t the first time Carolina Forest has dealt with a wildfire. Back in 2009, a fire tore through the area, destroying over 70 homes and scorching more than 19,000 acres. That fire, too, was fueled by dry conditions and high winds. Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe. Longer droughts and unpredictable wind patterns are becoming the norm, even in regions that historically haven’t been wildfire-prone. As the smoke clears — whenever that may be — the people of Myrtle Beach will have to rebuild and prepare for whatever comes next.