South Carolina arrested three young men for allegedly starting a massive wildfire after failing to “extinguish their cigarettes in a proper and safe manner,” officials say.
The Table Rock Fire near Pickens — located outside of Greenville — has grown to more than 15,000 acres as of Wednesday morning. Nyzaire Jah-Neiz Marsh, 19, of Taylors, and 18-year-olds Tristan Tyler and Isaac Wilson of Greenville, are each facing one count of negligently allowing fire to spread to lands or property of another.
“According to the arrest warrant affidavits, the suspects took part in smoking activities on a hiking trail at the [Table Rock] 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,” the South Carolina Forestry Commission said in a statement.
The agency said “Pickens County sheriff’s deputies, state park personnel and other first responders discovered a rapidly growing wildfire” at Table Rock State Park on March 21 while searching for a missing hiker in the area.
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“As part of their response, the search group located and evacuated seven hikers, several of whom were questioned about the origins of the fire,” it continued.
“During preliminary interviews, four subjects,” including “one minor, were relocated to the C. David Stone Law Enforcement Center in Pickens for follow-up questioning,” according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission.
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“SCFC investigators along with Pickens County Sheriff’s Office detectives obtained evidence that they allege identified these subjects as suspects in the origin of the Table Rock State Park fire,” it also said. “The juvenile subject was charged with one count of the same offense; he was not booked, but was released into the custody of his parents.”
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The fire is currently 70% contained.
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