Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
MYRTLE BEACH — Starting Nov. 12, a portion of International Drive will be closed for a controlled burn at the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve, according to Horry County officials. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources and the S.C. Forestry Commission plan to start burning at 8 a.m. Nov. 12 and end on Nov. 14. The closure of the popular cut-through road between Carolina Forest and S.C. Highway 90 will affect all traffic from Highway 90 to just west of Red Wolf Trail, according to county officials. The road will reopen as conditions allow. Officials recommend using U.S. Highway 501 and S.C. Highway 22 as alternative routes. "This schedule is subject to change and is based upon the most current weather forecast," officials wrote in an announcement. "Please plan your travel accordingly." Businesses near Red Wolf Trail will not be impacted by the closure, and the Horry County Solid Waste Recycling Facility will remain accessible from S.C. Highway 90. Law enforcement will be enforcing the closure, according to officials. Prescribed burns, also known as controlled burns, are set intentionally by forest officials to help manage land that can be prone to wildfires, like the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve. The planned fires help eliminate the overgrowth that can choke out rare plants and fuel wildfires. Officials typically conduct them between late winter and early spring during times of little rain and low humidity, according to DNR. This particular controlled burn comes months after a wildfire in Carolina Forest burned through 2,059 acres near the preserve starting on March 1. Although the fire prompted evacuations in parts of eight neighborhoods, no homes were destroyed and no injuries were reported. The fire burned for nearly three months before being 100 percent contained. In its aftermath, the S.C. Forestry Commission arrested Alexandra Bialousow, charging her with two fire-related misdemeanors and accusing her in a news release of starting the wildfire. Bialousow has maintained her innocence. On Oct. 22, the day of her trial, state authorities agreed to drop Bialousow’s charges if she would participate in a diversion program. The agreement did not require her to plead guilty. Most of the land scorched by the Carolina Forest wildfire was bought by Horry County in 2018 as part of a plan to reduce the risk of a major fire disaster by using prescribed burns. But the county never burned on its property before the March 1 blaze began.
