Latest news with #CarolinaForestFire
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘They lied:' Attorney of woman charged with sparking Carolina Forest wildfire has proof of her innocence, he says
CAROLINA FOREST, S.C. (WBTW) — An attorney representing the woman charged with sparking the March 1 Carolina Forest wildfire says his client is being scapegoated by Horry County and The South Carolina Forestry Commission. He says he has proof investigators are lying. Alexandra Bialousow, 40, is charged with negligently allowing fire to spread to lands of another and a regulation of fire violation. She's out on a $15,000 bond after being arrested on March 6. In a video posted to TikTok, Bialousow's lawyer, Jonny McCoy, made several bold accusations, questioning the urgency of firefighters in the first moments responding to Bialousow's home. He also says authorities lied about evidence to justify charging her. 'They lied about her not having gardening tools. They lied about her not having a water hose, and they lied about her not having any gardening tools,' McCoy said. 'That's why I get hired .. is when you start to see they are scapegoating somebody.' In the TikTok clip, McCoy shares photos he says shows tools near Bialousow's fire pit. He claims the tools were next to the fire pit on March 1 before and during the small fire that authorities say sparked the massive Carolina Forest Fire. As News13 has reported, the state Forestry Commission said she didn't. When we asked McCoy when the fire pit photos were taken, he said he requested them from Bialousow after she became his client. News 13 notes that a wide angle photo of the fire pit shows trees behind it that don't appear to be burned. McCoy also said Biaousow's stone fire pit qualified as an exception to a statewide burn ban, because it's made of stone and built into the hard. Another clip on McCoy's TikTok video, shows footage of who appears to be Alexandra Bialousow using a garden hose to spray down trees that had caught fire in what appears to be her backyard. The video, McCoy said, was taken by somebody at her house on March 1. He says it disproves the allegation that there wasn't an available water source near her fire pit. News13 has reached out to both Horry County and state forestry officials for a response to McCoy's claims. Local officials deferred to the South Carolina Forestry Commission, which said it doesn't comment on ongoing litigation. McCoy told News13 on Monday that Bialousow is the victim of a yearslong pattern of corruption in Horry County. 'I have been trying cases for 15 years in Horry County, South Carolina, Columbia and all around the state and one thing that everybody knows without fail is that authorities in this area lie and exaggerate in an effort to make somebody look more guilty, or not guilty at all,' he said. 'And if they're investigated for it, nothing happens.' McCoy said Bialousow is considering a defamation lawsuit, once her current legal battle is resolved. He says insinuations by the forestry commission and local media outlets that Bialousow violated a statewide burn ban are false and dangerous. He says the single mom of two has received threats and has been placed on administrative leave from her job. 'She's gotten threats. There are still comments saying she's an idiot. That she deserves to be held liable and accountable for all 2,000 acres. It is going to take everybody realizing that there is video evidence out there, completely to the contrary,' McCoy said. 'The authorities are going to have to step up and say, 'you know what, we made a mistake.' They'll never do that though, before she would be able to made even partly whole again.' It's important to note that McCoy said the video he posted on TikTok of the firepit was shot after Bialousow became his client. Trees behind the pit show no signs of being burned. * * * 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.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires, on the heels of hurricanes, burn through the South
Wildfires are raging across Georgia and North and South Carolina. The last few weeks of dry, windy conditions in the South are extremely conducive to fire. Now hundreds of separate fires have caught and thousands of acres have burned, per Axios. Dozens of people have evacuated while firefighters combat the blazes. Wildfires in central Georgia are at 80% containment on Tuesday; North Carolina's largest fire was 63% contained on the evening of Monday; and South Carolina's largest fire, the Carolina Forest fire, is 30% contained as of Tuesday. 'Human involvement is the reason behind these fires and the answer to preventing them as well,' said Georgia Forestry Commission Protection Chief Thomas Barrett in a statement. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins plans to visit the region on Friday, per NC Newsline. Though less prevalent than the annual fires that can impact California and the Northwest, the thick, expansive forests in rural parts of Georgia and the Carolinas pose serious risk for wildfires in dry seasons. Moreover, the state's five-year average for wildfires has increased, meaning greater danger and more ruined acres of land, per Patch 'Any spark that takes hold outdoors is capable of igniting a large wildfire,' reported Barrett. 'That means one ember from a backyard leaf pile, grill or campfire can spark a dangerous fire. Also hot machinery on dry grasses or a tossed cigarette.' According to the National Interagency Fire Center, Georgia is 'in the red' for March, meaning it is at much greater risk than usual for wildfires. A Georgia Forestry Commission spokesperson said that nearly 6,200 acres had burned as of March 3, per WSB-TV. Firefighters mainly attribute causes to humans burning things outdoors. One person has died so far, according to Patch. Rain is due late in the day on Tuesday and throughout Wednesday, but the commission expects wildfire danger to remain high throughout the month. 'Just don't burn outdoors,' said commission spokesperson Wendy Burnett. 'Save it for another day. Those leaves and limbs will be there in a week or a month, whenever it becomes safe to burn them up.' Georgia's wildfires follow just months on the heels of Hurricane Debby in August 2024, which caused tremendous flooding and two deaths, and Hurricane Helene in September, which devastated Georgia's power system, provoked massive destruction, including landslides, and killed over 30 Georgians. On Sunday, Gov. Henry McMaster responded to over 175 active blazes by declaring a state of emergency in South Carolina. Though the Carolinas will receive the same cold front that will usher in rain in Georgia, this is too late for the dozens of people who have evacuated their homes in both states. Thousands of acres have burned. The South Carolina National Guard even came in with helicopters and dropped 600 gallons of water at a time on several of the fires. The largest fire in South Carolina, the Carolina Forest Fire, broke out only 5 miles north of Myrtle Beach, which remains open. Meanwhile, 189 fires have caught in North Carolina as of Tuesday, per USA Today. 'The brave men and women of the U.S. Forest Service began responding immediately to the fires in the Carolinas,' said Secretary Rollins in a statement. 'We will ensure they have the resources, personnel and support they need to swiftly put out the fires. They are working closely with state and local partners, and we are grateful for all the firefighters working on the frontlines.' Like Georgia, North and South Carolina were also partially devastated by hurricanes Debby and Helene, according to the USDA. Lives were lost in both states. Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that wildfires in the region are also growing worse on average. They also predict that increasingly dry weather, pushed by human-caused climate change, will heighten temperatures and increase the number of acres burned every year.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires Burn Across The Carolinas And Alabama: Here's What We Know
Nearly 200 wildfires erupted across both North and South Carolina over the weekend which prompted evacuations as the flames threatened homes in both states. As of Monday morning, the fight to contain them continues. The Carolina Forest Fire spans 1,600 acres just five miles north of Myrtle Beach and as of Monday morning, firefighters have it 30% contained, per CNN. But that is just one of the fires wreaking havoc in this region. ABC News estimates that in South Carolina alone fires have burned 4,200 acres statewide in Horry, Spartanburg, Oconee, Union and Pickens counties. South Carolina's governor issued both a state of emergency and a ban on burning on Sunday. Governor Henry McMaster said, "This State of Emergency ensures that our first responders, who are working tirelessly and risking their lives to protect our communities from these wildfires, have the resources they need." There is also a continued threat of fire near Wilmington, North Carolina, and sadly there is more troubling news to report for our friends in western North Carolina, who have already suffered so greatly at the hands of Mother Nature in the last year. A fallen power line near the towns of Tryad and Saluda sparked a brush fire that then quickly spread up a nearby mountain. As of Monday morning, Polk County Emergency and Fire posted on Facebook saying this fire burned approximately 481 acres and is 30% contained. A county-wide burn ban is in place here as well. Alabama saw several brush fires ignite over the weekend as well. West Jefferson County fire and rescue said the flames endangered several homes but fortunately, as of Monday, no homes have been impacted. Fortunately, as of time of publish, no fatalities or serious injuries have been reported. As first responders and fire crews continue to work to further contain these fires across the South, we thank them for their service. This is a developing story Read the original article on Southern Living
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Drivers Face Lowered Visibility in Smoky South Carolina
Heavy smoke hung over areas around Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as firefighters worked to contain the Carolina Forest Fire on Monday, March 3. Horry County Fire Rescue reported 'heavy, low-hanging smoke' in the area on Monday morning, and advised motorists to 'avoid driving in the general Carolina Forest Boulevard area.' Footage taken by Stephen Sponcia shows the sun rising on a smoky scene along South Carolina Highway 31 (SC-31) in Horry County on Monday morning. The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services issued an air-quality alert for Horry County. Credit: Stephen Sponcia via Storyful
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Carolina Forest fire 30% contained, evacuations lifted
There were over 100 wildfires in South Carolina Saturday and Sunday, March 1-2, 2025. (Photo courtesy of South Carolina Forestry Commission) Residents of a Myrtle Beach area community threatened by a weekend wildfire can return home as firefighters begin to get the blaze under control. The 1,600-acre Carolina Forest fire that led to hundreds of evacuations in Horry County is 30% contained as of Monday morning, according to the State Forestry Commission. While the fire is widespread, no one has been injured and no homes destroyed, according to Horry County Fire Department spokesperson Tony Casey. He said property damage has been minimal, such as melted fences and siding on a house. After a massive flare up of more than 100 wildfires over the weekend, encompassing thousands of acres, the South Carolina Forestry Commission says the Carolina Forest Fire is one of only three that remain burning. 'We're in great shape,' Doug Wood, spokesperson for the forestry commission, told the SC Daily Gazette. More than 175 wildfires burned across Horry, Spartanburg, Oconee, Union and Pickens Counties, impacting more than 4,200 acres, according to the State Fire Marshal. In response, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Sunday. McMaster's declaration came a day after the forestry commission issued a statewide outdoor burn ban. 'This State of Emergency ensures that our first responders, who are working tirelessly and risking their lives to protect our communities from these wildfires, have the resources they need,' McMaster said in a statement. Both the ban and the emergency declaration remain in place. Anyone caught burning amid the ban could face criminal charges, according to the governor's office. The Carolina Forest fire comes more than 15 years after a small burn took a turn for the worse in the same region. In April 2009, a yard debris burn near Conway spread into a wildfire that destroyed 76 homes and did $42 million in property damage across Horry County. Firefighters responded and thought the fire, commonly known as the Highway 31 Fire, had been extinguished but it reignited and went on to cover more than 19,000 acres. At any given time, the state may have five to 10 wildfires burning, Wood said. But the scale of the past weekend's outburst is something Wood can't recall in recent history. 'It hasn't happened in a long time,' Wood said. The Forestry Commission is the lead responder when a wildfire breaks out across 13 million of the state's roughly 20 million-acre land mass. With so many fires ablaze at once, it strained the state's firefighting capacity, according to the agency. To combat the flames at Carolina Forest, the state Army National Guard has sent blackhawk helicopters to dump buckets carrying 600 gallons of water. Additionally, the state forest commission, state Department of Natural Resources and the state Emergency Management Division are working alongside numerous local fire departments. 'Every fire department within 50 miles has been out here helping us,' Wood said. Officials have yet to determine the cause of the Carolina Forest fire, as well as the source of other fires that burned over the weekend, Wood said. South Carolina's wildfire season lasts from January to April, with March usually marking the peak.
