WATCH: Fireworks start blaze in dunes in North Myrtle Beach

Adam Benson
·1 min read

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — North Myrtle Beach crews quickly put out a fire in the dunes Saturday night that started after off fireworks were shot off on the beach behind a high-rise condominium.

North Myrtle Beach Fire Department spokeswoman Lauren Eckersley Jessie said Monday that officials weren’t sure what sparked the fire behind Mar Vista Grande but confirmed that fireworks were spotted near the spot.

However, a video provided to News13 by Anne Koechring on Monday morning clearly shows the fire erupting after sparks from the fireworks landed in the dunes.

News13 talked to a nearby resident on Monday who said four youths were outside and shot off fireworks close to a lifeguard stand. The man said when the dunes caught fire, two of the youths tried to put it out but ran away when they weren’t successful.

News13 photo: Gracie Fusco
News13 photo: Gracie Fusco

“Our balconies (are) right on the beach and we were watching five, 10 minutes. They were nice and then all of a sudden, they started shooting them at an angle towards the condo complex. They were getting very close,” said Mike Riccardi, who grandparents live at Mar Vista Grande.

It’s illegal for anyone to use, fire shoot, discharge, burn, ignite or activate fireworks anywhere with North Myrtle Beach city limits, with first offenses carrying a fine of $310, with arrests on subsequent violations.

“Once the fire started, everybody was awake at that point. It was a little before midnight. So I think a lot of people were sleeping, but they were quite loud. I don’t know how anybody would sleep through that,” Riccardi said.

There are also no fireworks stores located within the city.

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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.

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Gracie is a multimedia journalist at News 13 and is from Cleveland, Ohio. Gracie joined the team in June 2023 after graduating from the University of Alabama in May. Follow Gracie on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, & read more of her work here.

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