NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – North Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue officials brace for a busy year if calls during the first week of 2018 are any indication of what’s to come.

According to fire officials, crews have responded to 176 calls for service as of 10 p.m. Sunday night. In comparison, during the same time frame in 2017, crews responded to 76 incidents.

Just over half of the calls since the New Year have involved water leaks typically caused by broken pipes, officials say. The freezing temperatures have certainly caused an increase in emergency calls, some with minimal damage and other more significant, crews say.

In addition to the calls for water issues, North Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue crews have also responded to two structure fires, other fire alarms, medical calls, and car crashes.