WILDFIRE UPDATE: 3/8/25 at 3:45 p.m.
NOTE: This will be the last Horry County Fire Rescue WILDFIRE UPDATE of this kind.
South Carolina Forestry Commission reports 55% containment of the Covington Drive Fire in the Carolina Forest area, with 2,059 acres involved. The Florida Forest Service Incident Management Team (IMT) will assume command of this incident, giving SCFC much-deserved rest and then be available to fight other fires as needed. The Florida Forest Service IMT is here as part of the Southeastern Forest Fire Compact.
This hard work will continue to move forward, as this incident is still very much active, with a strong plan moving forward.
The collective hard work of SCFC, Horry County Fire Rescue, Horry County Police Department, Horry County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol and of course the assisting agencies from across South Carolina, and some from North Carolina, has been the single reason a home has not been lost to fire, nor have their been any significant injuries.
All structures near the fire ground are being protected, currently. 
We're humbled by the outpouring support of Carolina Forest, Horry County, South Carolina and folks who appreciate old school, hard-charging firefighting aided by modern technology to give the best results possible, given the situation.
Aerial assets dropping water on hot spots has been extremely helpful, many of those small fires and smoke being marked by drone use and crews on the ground, communicating effectively in a moment's notice.
Progress has been steady, and incoming rain should help efforts as Horry County says 'goodbye' to all those visiting and assisting agencies, delivered through the state's mobilization plan. @scstatefire and @scfirefighters has been clutch in ensuring we have the assets and resources we need to fight this wildfire.
The @RedCrossSc has been instrumental in lining up food, supplies, cots and resources firefighters need to rest up, recharge and get back out there to work. 
This work will be ongoing in the coming weeks, hopefully moving toward full containment and ultimately extinguishment, though that will take some time. Smoke will remain visible. People in the directly effected areas will possibly continue to see flare-ups. Though we're constantly monitoring for them, and many of them are in the black—area already burned in this wildfire—we still encouraging residents to call them into 911 so we can be dispatched to investigate.
We need to emphasize, Horry County has a burn ban in place in all unincorporated areas. It is unlawful to engage in open burning until the ban has been lifted, which will be announced on the Horry County website and all involved Horry County social media pages. To check the immediate status of the burn ban, check the cover photo on HCFR's Facebook page. If the cover photo says there's a burn ban, it is still in place. It will be updated immediately when the ban is pulled. 
On Thursday, February 27, at 3:25 p.m., Horry County initiated the burn ban, sharing with media as a release, posting the information on Horry County's websites and social media pages. It has been in place since.
If someone thinks someone is burning or breaking the law, please call 911 and HCFR crews will be dispatched to investigate. 
For more information on open burning in Horry County, go to: https://horrycountysc.gov/departments/fire-rescue/open-burning/.
There has been an extensive care operation at the rehab location at Carolina Forest Community Church, well stocked and organized by area businesses that emphasize giving back to public safety. Because of their hard work and dedication, firefighters had meals and supplies at their fingertips when they came out from response to this wildfire.
This incident is still ongoing. Crews will be working hard with response until it's not needed any more.
We sincerely appreciate the support we've received from from the public, our #PublicSafetyPartners and leadership across South Carolina. It won't be forgotten.
If you'll forgive us, there will be people we absolutely intent to thank, but don't. Please know we mean to share out most sincere with all who've helped with all aspects of this operation.
THANK YOU.

#HCFR