Wind-whipped S.C. wildfire chars 3,000 acres

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — A rapidly spreading coastal wildfire destroyed one home and forced dozens of people to flee their houses Wednesday as high winds fanned the flames and blew walls of smoke over some of the busiest tourists spots in South Carolina.

The blaze had charred 3,000 acres, which is almost five square miles, and was not under control. Officials said no one had been injured. Firefighters expected it to burn through the night, said state Forestry Commission spokesman Scott Hawkins. A cause has not been determined.

Low humidity and high winds expected today may send the flames even closer to neighborhoods, golf courses and businesses that have eaten away at hundreds of thousands of acres of dense woods and swamps in the past few decades, officials said.

By early evening, a gray-white smoke engulfed restaurant row, a collection of spots that lure tourists between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. It looked like a winter fog, with cars using their headlights and neon signs peeking through the haze.

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