A North Carolina man lit fireworks in Sea Pines. Then, grass on the beach caught fire
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article misstated where the suspect was from.
Fireworks are all fun and games until you illegally light one on a Hilton Head beach and cause a large fire.
A North Carolina man learned that early Tuesday morning, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.
When a Sea Pines Security officer responded to a report of a brush fire around 12:30 a.m. near the Beachside Tennis Villas on South Sea Pines Drive, he saw a man running back and forth between the ocean and the fire carrying two drink pitchers.
The man was filling the pitchers with ocean water to extinguish the fire.
Once the fire was safely doused by first responders, the man told law enforcement officers that he had set off a couple of fireworks, and one set a patch of the tall grass on fire.
The report said the man told officers he tried to put it out himself, but when he realized it was growing, he called for help.
A 20-by-30-foot section of grass about 100 feet away from buildings was razed, according to the report.
It’s illegal to light fireworks on the beach in Hilton Head. Officers wrote the man a ticket, which could result in a fine of up to $500.
This story was originally published August 14, 2019 at 3:06 PM.
