Cause of massive fire at Shallotte sand pit remains unknown
SHALLOTTE, NC (WWAY) — Questions remain about what caused a massive fire at a Shallotte business Wednesday night, leaving behind burned structures, trucks and debris.
The fire broke out at Ike Williamson Sand Pit off Old Georgetown Road. Drone footage provided by EyeDrone ILM shows extensive damage across the property, including charred structures, vehicles and debris.
Several fire departments responded to the scene, including Shallotte Point, Ocean Isle Beach, Calabash and Brunswick County Fire Rescue.
With no fire hydrants nearby, crews gathered at a Dollar General down the road to coordinate water supply operations.
“It was a mutual aid assistance responded with a tender for water supply, water shuttle operations and a ladder truck for aerial operations,” a responding fire official said.
The fire has raised concerns among nearby residents, including Ocean Isle Beach resident Judy Andricak, who said smoke from burning operations at the business has been an ongoing problem.
“I know he burns a lot of stuff there, construction debris, tree debris and it’s been burning for years,” Andricak said. “I gave up walking in the morning because the smoke would be so thick from his burns that it would engulf the entire east end of Ocean Isle.”
According to a report from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Ike Williamson Sand Pit owns an air curtain incinerator, which uses forced air directed over a fire in a pit to help control burning.
The incinerator is permitted to burn up to 10 tons of material per hour, including trees, logs, large brush, stumps and clean lumber.
Wednesday night’s fire occurred in the same area where two other fires were reported earlier this year, in July and October. It remains unclear whether the fires are connected.
When WWAY visited the property Thursday, smoke was still visible at the business.
Employees quickly asked WWAY to leave the property and closed a gate at the entrance. They declined to comment on what may have caused the fire.
Andricak said the incident highlights the need for better access to water for firefighters responding to emergencies in the area.
“There’s no fire hydrant anywhere along there,” Andricak said. “They need to put something in and they need to start doing it next week.”
The cause of Wednesday night’s fire remains unknown.
