Smoke from wildfire flare-ups still plague Myrtle Beach area 7 weeks after flames began

 MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.– South Carolina residents successful Myrtle Beach and Carolina Forest awoke to heavy fume this week from flare-ups from a wildfire that began astir 7 weeks ago.

The Covington Drive Fire began successful Horry County connected March 1. It rapidly dispersed to implicit 2,000 acres, prompting evacuations for dozens of residents. 

Horry County Fire Rescue and the South Carolina Forestry Commission battled the blaze for weeks, yet reaching 90% containment. 

Hot spots, caused by deep, smoldering pocks of embers, person continued popping up successful the weeks since the occurrence started, causing fume to determination successful and retired of adjacent communities. 

A photograph from Friday greeting successful Myrtle Beach showed however the fume is impacting immoderate areas. A location crossed the street, usually visible, was wholly hidden by smoke. 

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Smoke blocks the presumption of a vicinity successful Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, connected Friday.

(Dreama Perdue/Facebook / FOX Weather)

Horry County Fire Rescue warned residents that fume could beryllium an contented implicit the adjacent respective weeks, particularly successful the aboriginal mornings.

A photograph posted by Horry County Fire Rescue connected Wednesday showed the fume arsenic the prima rose:

A smoky sunrise successful Horry County. 

(Horry County Fire Rescue/FacebookFacebook / FOX Weather)

As to wherefore fires similar the Covington Drive Fire smolder for truthful long, the South Carolina Forestry Commission says the saturated quality of soils successful the Carolina Bay doesn't let oxygen, making it instrumentality longer for adust vegetation and specified to interruption down. 

Then, arsenic moisture levels spell down successful the soil, it dries retired and becomes akin to the baccy wrong a cigar, said Roy Holt, a Black River forester with the South Carolina Forestry Commission. The occurrence continues to smolder, burning deeper and deeper arsenic the ungraded becomes exposed to oxygen. 

Horry Corry Fire Rescue said these blistery spots volition apt proceed until the country receives important capable rainfall to afloat incorporate and extinguish the fire.