OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. — Crews responded to multiple fires early Thursday morning in Ocean Isle Beach for the second time in a week, according to Horry County Fire Rescue.
Dee Hall lives in Oak Ridge but has a vacation home on Ocean Isle Beach, right across the street from the scene of massive overnight fires.
She said her family awoke to the sound of an explosion.
"Right now it doesn’t even seem real," Hall explained in shock. "You hear the explosion, and I’m guessing the explosions were gas tanks and the vehicles and maybe the tires popping because it was one right after another."
Hall said the blast woke her up around 1 a.m. She was there with her children and grandchildren.
"I was not scared for my life but I was scared getting my children and grandchildren out," she said. "My daughter immediately said 'we’re not staying under any circumstances I'm getting my babies out of here and she was 100 percent right.'"
As her children and grandchildren ran up the street, Hall and her husband stayed to evacuate neighbors.
"My husband ran house to house getting everyone out, and banging on windows and doors and getting everybody out so no one else was hurt," she stated.
Several beach homes caught fire in Ocean Isle late Monday night as well after Hurricane Isaias came ashore.
"Thank God for first responders," Hall said tearfully. "I’m pretty calm under stress but I'm running on no sleep and I've got grandbabies here so I’m a little emotional. But as my mother-in-law always says: if money can fix it, it’s not that bad of a problem."
Ocean Isle Beach Fire Department requested aid from Horry County shortly after 1 a.m.
Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith said two homes are a total loss, and several other sustained damage. Investigators believe the fire started in a flooded-out car underneath one of the homes.
Horry County firefighters shared video of the blaze on Facebook.
PHOTOS: Ocean Isle Beach fires
Horry County fire officials returned to South Carolina around 6 a.m.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.