Myrtle Beach Cast in Rare Negative Light

One of the most popular beach destinations in the U.S., Myrtle Beach has faced tough headlines in the last week.

Home to outlet malls, myriad golf courses, beautiful beaches and endless rows of vacation rentals, Myrtle Beach normally enjoys positive press and a carefree reputation.

That all changed last week when a fire that began near Conway, S.C. raged out of control burning 30-square-miles and destroying 70 homes. Fog and smoke from the fire were so widespread, many roads in the area have been closed for days.

Firefighters battled hard over the weekend and have contained much of the fire, but a few areas are still burning freely. They're hoping to have it 100% contained by Tuesday evening.

Negative headlines continued with the mysterious disappearance of Brittanee Drexel, a 17-year-old spring breaker from Rochester, New York. Brittanee had been visiting Myrtle Beach with a few older friends when she suddenly disappeared on Saturday night.

Police are investigating the disappearance and Dawn Drexel, Brittanee's mother, appeared on CNN Monday night. So far leads have proved inconclusive.

While Myrtle Beach is generally a fun, safe, family-friendly destination, it's important to excercise caution whenever you're traveling. If you're vacationing at the South Carolina coast this summer, be sure to stay read our Myrtle Beach Safety & Travel Security Guide.

Myrtle Beach Fires Consume Coast

Myrtle Beach is currently experiencing some of the worst fires that we've seen in a while on the East Coast; the damage caused by the quickly spreading flames has become so bad that authorities are discussing the possibility of the fire "moving to North Myrtle Beach."

According to the Charlotte Observer, 40 homes have already burnt down, between 8,000 and 9,000 acres in Horry County have been torched and 2,500 residents (or visitors) have been forced into emergency shelters.

For now, our thoughts and prayers go out to anyone down in the Myrtle Beach area that might be in danger; we'll have more as this story develops.