While most presidents have historically tackled crises from the Situation Room, Donald Trump seems to prefer the 18th green. Nero fiddled while Rome burned, and Trump? Well, he golfs while America smolders. 2tmk

The man is dedicated, to say the least. Forget the fact that he’s been a no-show for some of the most critical disasters during his time in office — what’s more important is that he’s claimed to have won 18 golf championships. For context, that’s the same number of major championships won by golf greats like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods — except, you know, their victories were real.

As Trump strolls leisurely from tee to tee beneath the sunny skies of Palm Beach, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is quite literally engulfed in flames. Thousands of residents have been forced to abandon their homes. A statewide ban on outdoor burning has been issued to prevent the situation from worsening, and violators face criminal prosecution. But even with these measures, the fire isn’t slowing down. 

South Carolina has been experiencing unusually dry weather, creating parched vegetation that acts as kindling for wildfires. Winds exacerbate the problem by spreading the flames faster, making it very hard for firefighters to contain the blaze. As of now, over 175 wildfires are being fought across the state, spanning 4,200 acres. Counties like Horry, Spartanburg, and Pickens are among the hardest hit. To their credit, officials report that no injuries have been recorded yet. Still, the situation is dire. 

The president’s actions are emblematic of a larger failure to prioritize climate resilience in this country. Wildfires aren’t going away. In fact, they’re getting worse and more frequent, thanks to rising temperatures and prolonged droughts. Yet, federal resources continue to be outright ignored. Trump’s own istration has recently pumped the brakes on essential wildfire mitigation funding — funding, mind you, that was established under his predecessor’s watch precisely to prevent disasters like these. 

We saw this just a month ago, when Los Angeles suffered catastrophic wildfires, racking up projected losses in excess of $35 billion. Instead of ramping up firefighting capacity after such a devastating event, the Trump istration put the Forest Service under a department-wide hiring freeze. Of course, when Hurricane Helene ravaged Georgia, Trump was once again nowhere near the crisis. Instead, he and Marjorie Taylor Greene were busy attending a college football game. Beyond today’s crisis, Trump’s golfing obsession is an expensive habit. Forbes estimated his golfing trips during his presidency cost taxpayers around $100 million.

Years from now, when historians sift through the chaos that was the Trump era, they’ll have a hard time deciding what sums it up best: the draft-dodger grinning at soldiers’ graves, the commander-in-chief using pandemic as an opportunity to hawk experimental cures, or the billionaire golfer leisurely teeing off while cities burn. 

Maybe they’ll wonder how a nation allowed itself to be led by someone so utterly disconnected from basic human empathy. But when they get to the part where taxpayers footed the bill for his endless rounds of golf — while he actively dismantled the Department of Education and other U.S. institutions in the name of cutting “government waste”— they might not even laugh.

Right now, the serene coastal town of Myrtle Beach, known for its sandy beaches and vacation charm, is battling a raging forest fire that refuses to be tamed.

It’s a stark reminder of how quickly nature can flip the script on us, especially when the conditions are just right — or rather, all wrong. Then again, fires like this are never just “bad luck.” They’re the result of a perfect storm of environmental neglect and a planet that’s getting hotter and drier by the year.

What happened in Myrtle Beach? 2a3l55

Located in the heart of South Carolina’s Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach is a coastal city that thrives on tourism. The place wasn’t always the tourist mecca it is today, though. Back in the early 20th century, it was a quiet, largely undeveloped stretch of coastline. The development boom didn’t really take off until the 1950s and 60s, when the area started marketing itself as a vacation destination. 

Over the years, it’s transformed into a bustling hub of activity, but that growth has come at a cost. The natural ecosystems that once thrived here have been pushed to the sidelines, and now, with climate change making everything hotter and drier, those ecosystems are fighting back in the form of wildfires.

On the night of March 1, a fire erupted in Carolina Forest, an inland, suburban community just a short drive from the bustling beachfront. The fire spread with terrifying speed, doubling in size overnight from 600 acres to a staggering 1,200 acres by the morning of March 2. The sheer force and speed of the flames left little room for error, forcing residents in nearby homes to evacuate with barely enough time to grab their essentials.

Has the fire been contained? 565f63

At the time of writing, the fire in the Carolina Forest area is still raging, with zero containment reported. With dry vegetation and unpredictable winds still at play, every effort seems to be met with more challenges. Crews from across the region, including the South Carolina Forestry Commission, have been called in to help. Cooler temperatures and weaker winds overnight may give them a slight edge, but the sheer scale of the fire means control is still far off. Roads near the fire zone are being closely monitored. However, the thick smoke makes travel dangerous, even for emergency responders.

This isn’t the first time Carolina Forest has dealt with a wildfire. Back in 2009, a fire tore through the area, destroying over 70 homes and scorching more than 19,000 acres. That fire, too, was fueled by dry conditions and high winds. Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe. Longer droughts and unpredictable wind patterns are becoming the norm, even in regions that historically haven’t been wildfire-prone. As the smoke clears — whenever that may be — the people of Myrtle Beach will have to rebuild and prepare for whatever comes next.