Feb. 12--MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Horry County fire crews battle a blaze at a Myrtle Beach restaurant.
The Seafare Restaurant at 9925 North Kings Highway caught fire at approximately 9:23pm Saturday night, said Horry County Fire Rescue spokesperson Lesley Yancey.
The fire had the section of Highway 17 shut down for a few hours while the crews worked to put the fire out.
Scott Thompson, Horry County Assistant Fire Chief, said more than 15 fire trucks and engines were on the scene battling the two alarm fire. He said a water boat was also brought in to help bring water in from the Intercoastal Waterway, which runs right behind the restaurant.
Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach fire crews provided mutual aid, Yancey said.
When firefighters arrived flames were shooting through the restaurant's roof, said Yancey.
Thompson said the building was unoccupied at the time the fire started and as of 11:15p.m. Saturday, no firefighters were injured on the job.
He said the building will be a total loss, thanks a lot to the weather conditions.
"It's just a large volume of fire. It's a big building. The high winds we're having tonight, with the front coming through, has been causing us some problems with the brands going across the street," said Thompson. "We have units protecting buildings on the opposite side of [Highway] 17 from the fire."
Fire crew were expecting to scale back their operation after a couple hours, and then Highway 17 would re-open, said Thompson.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Stay with SCNow.com and News13 for the very latest details.
Copyright 2012 - Florence Morning News, S.C.
