Inn-Connections

By Kenneth A. Gailliard, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

May 17--Rhonda Howard's reaction was swift Monday night when she heard someone knock at her motel room door and scream "fire," and so was the response from the American Red Cross, which is helping her family now.

"I just got the kids up and we got out of there," Howard said.

Howard, her husband, Ed, and their four children, ages 13, 8, 5 and 3, were almost asleep when the rap came on the door.

Within minutes, fire had heavily damaged the Deluxe Inn at 3501 S.C. 544, home to the Howards for about two months.

In all, about 25 people lived in the motel, authorities said. By 4 p.m. Tuesday, at least 11 people had sought and received Red Cross help.

Information on the status of the investigation into the cause of the blaze or the estimated damage it caused wasn't available on Tuesday.

The Coastal South Carolina Chapter of the Red Cross serves Horry, Georgetown and Williamsburg counties, and has helped victims from 89 fires in those counties since the beginning of the year, said Karen Anderson, preparedness and response director for the chapter.

The agency responded to 183 fires in 2005, helping victims with food, shelter and clothing as needed, Anderson said.

"This [the Deluxe Inn fire] is the largest single incident we've had in the past fiscal year [June through July]," Anderson said.

She expects additional Deluxe Inn victims to contact the agency over the next few days.

The agency quickly helped the Howard family, while other motel residents indicated Monday night that they would turn to relatives and friends.

And the Howards welcomed the aid. "It was a relief to have them here," Howard said. "At least I had somewhere for the children to sleep."

They spent Monday night in an emergency shelter set up at an area church. The shelter closed Tuesday.

The night of the fire, Howard and her family watched from across the street as the Deluxe Inn burned with their belongings inside.

"It was scary," said Howard, who home-schooled her children in the room where they lived.

On Tuesday, she said, "The kids are doing extremely well, but I'm concerned about the little ones."

The Red Cross offers help to her family and others for three days. Howard is not sure what she will do after that.

Another former resident of the motel, Kelly Gifford, lived there with her partner and their two children.

They spent the night in a relative's home on Monday but on Tuesday they sought help from the Red Cross, Gifford said.

She said her children were shaken by the experience.

"We have friends and they will help us keep the children calm," she said.

"Now I'm concerned about getting things back in line," she said. "I have no idea how to do that."

Karen Anderson | preparedness and response director for the The Coastal South Carolina Chapter of the Red Cross

Contact KENNETH A. GAILLIARD at 626-0312 or kgailliard@thesunnews.com [mailto:kgailliard@thesunnews.com].

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.