South Carolina woman arrested in connection with Myrtle Beach wildfire
A woman accused of igniting a more than 2,000 acre wildfire last week in South Carolina, threatening the lives and homes of hundreds, has been arrested and charged, officials said on Friday.
Alexandra Bialousow, 40, of Myrtle Beach was arrested Thursday on charges of negligently allowed fire to spread and starting a fire in woodlands, grasslands or other places without taking certain precautions, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission.
The commission said witnesses reported seeing Bialousow start a fire Sunday in a backyard fire pit close to a tree line in the Covington Lakes Subdivision.
"According to the arrest warrant, the suspect 'did not have an appropriate water source readily available,' nor did she 'have any garden tools on hand to control the fire, thus allowing the fire to spread to land owned by Walker Woods HOA," the commission said in a statement.
That fire grew to become the still-active Covington Drive Fire near Myrtle Beach, one of the largest of the more than 175 wildfires that burned across the state over the last week, according to officials.
Bialousow did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
As of Saturday afternoon, the Covington Drive Fire was 55% contained, according to the forestry commission. No major injuries have been reported from the fires.
Abnormally dry conditions have fueled wildfires that scorched more than 4,000 acres statewide and prompted evacuations, according to the office of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.
McMaster declared a state of emergency in response to the fires on Sunday.
'Dangerous wildfire conditions require that a statewide burning ban remain in effect until further notice," he said in a statement. "Those who violate this ban will be subject to criminal prosecution.'
Neither the governor's office nor the Myrtle Beach Police Department immediately responded to a request for comment on Bialousow's arrest.
Bialousow is set to appear in court in Horry County on April 15. If convicted, each charge carries a possible sentence of up to 30 days imprisonment or fines.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
South Carolina man pleads guilty to shooting at police during Carolina Country Music Fest in 2023
CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — A South Carolina man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to shooting at police during 2023's Carolina Country Music Fest in Myrtle Beach, the 15th Circuit Solicitor's Office said. Chance Benson, 20, of Spartanburg, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, first-degree assault and battery, and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle. Circuit Court Judge David P. Caraker sentenced Benson to 10 years in prison. Police responded to a call about individuals brandishing guns at about 11 p.m. on June 10, 2023, according to the solicitor's office. When officers arrived, Benson and a co-defendant ran from a police vehicle. When police found them, Benson and his co-defendant fired almost 30 shots at officers with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the solicitor's office said. One officer was shot during the incident but has since recovered. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Make the kids look bad': Mom of Ocean Boulevard shooting victim, civil rights advocate want more answers about what happened
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The mother of a victim in April's officer-involved shooting on Ocean Boulevard and a civil rights leader say they are not satisfied with the Myrtle Beach Police Department's briefing and dashcam footage of the incident released on Thursday. Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock said in a recorded briefing Thursday afternoon that Officer Brandon O'Rourke shot and killed 18-year-old Jerrius Davis of Bennettsville, after Davis shot into a crowd on the boulevard on April 26. O'Rourke and two other officers who witnessed the shooting are all back at work after being on paid leave during the investigation. Eleven people were hurt in the shooting. Kendra Malloy, the mother of Serenity Chavis, who was one of the victims, said the dashcam footage that shows Davis shooting into a crowd and officers returning fire as he runs away is 'weak.' Malloy said she wants to see officers' body camera footage of the incident because the dashcam footage does not show the whole story. John Barnett, a civil-rights activist, said the footage released Thursday does not give the victims or their families any closure or justice. 'We want to know: Who are all the victims on April 26?' Barnett said. 'What are you all doing to resolve this issue? What are you doing to put a Band-Aid on this open wound? What are you doing in reference to counseling? What are you doing in reference to the investigation? Releasing excerpts of videos is just not enough.' Malloy and Barnett also said they do not think an incident at September football game in Laurinburg led to the shooting, like Prock said Thursday in the YouTube video released by the department. The Scotland County School district said Friday officers there were not aware of any incident during a game against neighboring Marlboro County. In the video, Prock said many events led up to the shooting, begnning with a 'heated exchange' during the football game. 'It's to, kind of, make the kids look bad,' Malloy said. 'There's no relation to a last year incident that has nothing to do with kids having a good time at Myrtle Beach.' Barnett also pushed back against police. 'They wanted to make sure that they get the heat off of the officers,' Barnett said. 'It's imperative we create a narrative that the police was not fully responsible for the shootings that happened on April 26.' Prock said three people have been arrested so far, including two juveniles, in the events connected to the Ocean Blvd shooting. She also said the 11 shooting victims, ages 13 to 43, had gunshot-related injuries and have all been released from the hospital. However, Barnett said the three victims he has spoken to are still in physical pain, still need counseling, and still need their voices heard. 'Treat our 11 victims of the April 26 shooting as if they were Hunter Biden, as if they were Donald Trump's children, as if they were someone who we all know and love,' he said. Barnett hopes to meet with Prock and Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune next week. For a timeline of the events authorities say led up to the boulevard shooting and to listen to Chief Prock's full statement, click here. * * * Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Myrtle Beach police require ‘complex' investigation of all officer-involved shootings
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — In the aftermath of an officer-involved shooting, the Myrtle Beach Police Department launches a 'complex' investigation that pulls in multiple officials and arms of city government. 'It is the purpose of this procedure to make these difficult investigations less traumatic for all involved and provide a framework to ensure that a fair, consistent and complete investigation is completed,' the department's seven-page protocol says. 'The incidents present a unique set of circumstances, which make them more complex than routine investigations.' Officials said Monday that three officers are on paid administrative leave following a Saturday night incident on North Ocean Boulevard that left 18-year-old Jarrius Davis dead from a gunshot wound fired by police. One of the first steps taken after an officer-involved shooting is notifying city leaders including its attorney, manager and others as needed. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is also informed. Deadly officer-involved shooting at least 25th instance of gun violence on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach since 2020 A police command post is established 'out of sight and sound' of the involved officers 'so that conversations regarding the management of the incident don't unnecessarily raise concern or the stress level of the officers.' The on-scene supervisor is in regular contact with dispatch to 'ensure there is adequate manpower to cover all patrol and ancillary duties,' as the investigation unfolds in its earliest stages. As for the involved officer, the following procedures are taken: Narration on body-worn camera that they're no longer actively involved in the incident and are departing the scene Immediate contact with spouse, partner or significant other and immediate family advising them of their role in an officer-involved shooting Immediate deactivation of personal social media accounts and suggestion that family members do the same Option to speak with an attorney before giving any statement that may be used in a criminal investigation Provided updates on the subject's condition It's standard procedure for officers involved in a shooting to be placed on administrative leave or temporarily reassigned until the investigation is complete. 'While the intent of this assignment is to limit the officer's integration with the public, the officer shall still have full arrest powers and may be armed unless otherwise stated by the Chief of Police,' the city's policy says. Should an involved officer need to be in court, it's up to them to stay on top of their pending cases and dates. It's not a simple process for an officer to get back into the field after a shooting. Within three days of any incident, officers are required to meet with a mental health professional compensated by the city. From there, impacted officers are given the chance to attend a South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program-led critical incident seminar debrief. Incident location visits are also required before an officer is reassigned with a duty weapon and given a psychological assessment. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
