SCDRA tech inspector Buck McAbee and his two dogs escaped a home fire, but he lost everything else. SCDRA promoter Kelley Carlton set up a GoFundMe to help McAbee.
“I’ve known Buck for all my life — we’re from the same town,” Carlton, of Woodruff, South Carolina, said. “He has worked for me for 14 years in all of our different racing incarnations — Fastrak, Ultimate, Screven and SCDRA.”
The fire erupted around 5 p.m. on Friday, March 8. That’s when heated cooking oil burst into flames. McAbee was at home recovering from back surgery with his two dogs, Buggar, a Springer Spaniel, and Wiebie, a terrier. McAbee, who is retired and lives alone, received first- and second-degree burns while rescuing his beloved furry companions.
“His feet were burned from running back into the fire,” said Carlton. “He told me his shirt caught on fire, and he was burned on his neck and the top of his head when he removed the flaming shirt.”
Carlton added that McAbee lived in a secluded area and lost his phone while rescuing his dogs. He had no way to call the fire department.
“Buck is diabetic, and suffers from neuropathy, so he could not feel that his feet were burning,” Carlton said. “Furthermore, he recently had back surgery, and was in pain from the surgery. Walking is difficult for him since the surgery. Once he got the dogs out, he just stood there and screamed, hoping someone would hear him.”
Neighbors finally saw the smoke from the fire and called 911.
“He’s beating himself to death about causing the fire,” said Carlton. “I told him it was a situation everyone has probably had — a fire caused by cooking food.”
Carlton said McAbee, a retired car salesman, is a well-known community member, a Harley rider, and a member of the local Selma Baptist Church.
“He is the type of guy who would give you his last 50 cents if you needed it,” Carlton said. “Everyone loves him.”
McAbee is now recovering at his son’s home.
“We need to find him a place to stay, and need to get him settled in with clothing, and the things he needs to replace that were lost in the fire,” said Carlton.
Carlton started a GoFundMe for Buck McAbee. To donate, click here.
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
