|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Three individuals have been charged by the South Carolina Forestry Commission (SCFC) in Pickens County, S.C., with negligently allowing fire to “spread to lands of another,” according to arrest records obtained by FITSNews.
Though the charges come as one of the largest wildfire in South Carolina history burns through multiple counties – and into neighboring states – neither SCFC nor the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) has confirmed whether the arrests are directly tied to the Table Rock Complex wildfire.
Those arrested on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, included Isaac David Wilson, 18, Tristan William Tyler, 18, and Nyzaire Jah-Neiz Marsh, 19, all of whom were granted $7,500 personal recognizance bonds by Pickens County magistrate Michael A. Baker.
***
***
All three teenagers face charges under S.C. Code of Laws § 16-11-0180, which criminalizes the negligent spread of fire to another’s property and is classified as a misdemeanor under state law.
While authorities have not confirmed whether these charges are tied to the Table Rock Complex wildfire, the statute under which the teenagers were charged carries remarkably light penalties.
A first offense is punishable by a fine of just $25 to $200 or a jail sentence of five to thirty days.
Even in cases where fire crosses property lines and causes substantial damage, the offense remains a misdemeanor. Repeat violations may result in a fine of up to $500 or a maximum sentence of one year behind bars, at the court’s discretion.
***
? SCORCHED EARTH
— Andrew Fancher (@RealAndyFancher) March 31, 2025
? Cleveland, South Carolina
Smoke enveloped the cemetery at Saluda Hill Baptist Church just after midnight Saturday as the Table Rock Complex wildfire lit up the hills. Within minutes, @FITSNews watched an entire mountainside erupt in flames.
Now spanning two… pic.twitter.com/prHfvZrlq6
***
As of Tuesday morning, the Table Rock Complex had scorched more than 15,300 acres of forested terrain, prompting a massive, multi-agency response involving local, state, and federal personnel.
More than 540 personnel — including firefighters, law enforcement, emergency management teams and federal responders — have been deployed across the Upstate as the Table Rock Complex wildfire threatens some of the Palmetto State’s most valued natural resources.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the wildfire has racked up an estimated $2 million in associated costs to date — a figure that continues to climb as containment efforts continue.
News of the arrests were first reported by Malarkey News.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to FITSNews for updates.
UPDATE | Within hours of this article’s publication, both SCFC and PCSO confirmed the aforementioned teens were charged “related to the origin” of the Table Rock Fire — one of two blazes comprising the Table Rock Complex.
“According to the arrest warrant affidavits, the suspects took part in smoking activities on a hiking trail at the state park and did not extinguish their cigarettes in a proper and safe manner, which officials allege led to the ignition of the Table Rock Fire,” a SCFC press release noted.
While a juvenile was also charged with one count of the same offense, he was not booked and was released into the custody of his parents, according to SCFC.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
(Dynal Nolan/FITSNews)
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
5 comments
Un-effing believable! Federal law only offers six months and $1,000. The penalty for this should be a fine roughly equivalent to the cost to the government to fight the fire.
They can’t do that, because the police have no evidence that these boys started the fire!! It seems like the sheriff need someone to “bring to justice” to get some kudos. The only evidence they had was that they, among several others, were hiking while the fire was blazing, and one hiker mentioned that one of the boys was smoking. The boys were at the top of the mountain and they saw that there was a fire on the mountain and fled back down the trail. Why would they set a fire intentionally and then continue their hike to the top of the mountain?
Apparently, there was adequate evidence to charge them – I suspect it was more than just someone seeing them smoking cigarettes. There wasn’t any need to “rush to judgement”, lightening starts way more fire than humans do but when “dumbassery” is the clear cause of a fire the dumbasses should be held to account.
They can’t do that, because the police have no evidence that these boys started the fire!! It seems like the sheriff need someone to “bring to justice” to get some kudos. The only evidence they had was that they, among several others, were hiking while the fire was blazing, and one hiker mentioned that one of the boys was smoking. The boys were at the top of the mountain and they saw that there was a fire on the mountain and fled back down the trail. Why would they set a fire intentionally and then continue their hike to the top of the mountain?
This case raises serious concerns about South Carolina’s wildfire laws. If three young adults truly sparked a fire that burned over 15,000 acres and cost millions in damage, how can a maximum penalty of $200 or 30 days in jail be considered justice? The law needs urgent reform—negligence of this scale shouldn’t be treated as a minor offense. What do you think? Should penalties for wildfire negligence be harsher?