PICKENS COUNTY, South Carolina — South Carolina Forestry Commission officials arrested three teenagers on April 1, 2025, charging them with negligently allowing the Table Rock Fire to spread, a blaze that has consumed over 13,000 acres near Pickens. The suspects, identified as Nyzaire Jah-Neiz Marsh, 19, of Taylors, and Tristan Tyler and Isaac Wilson, both 18, of Greenville, face allegations of starting the fire through careless smoking on a hiking trail.
The incident unfolded on March 21, 2025, when first responders, searching for a missing hiker in Table Rock State Park, noticed a rapidly growing wildfire. Seven hikers were evacuated, and after questioning, four individuals—three adults and one minor—were taken to the C. David Stone Law Enforcement Center in Pickens for further investigation. Arrest warrants state that the suspects failed to properly extinguish their cigarettes, leading to the ignition of the fire. The juvenile was also charged but released to parental custody, while Marsh, Tyler, and Wilson were booked into the Pickens County Detention Center and later released on $7,500 personal recognizance bonds.
Under South Carolina Code of Laws Section 16-11-180, negligently allowing fire to spread to another’s property is a misdemeanor, carrying a penalty of 5 to 30 days in jail or a fine of $25 to $200 upon conviction. The Table Rock Fire, now one of the largest wildfires in South Carolina history, has drawn significant attention. Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on March 21, and a statewide burning ban remains in effect. While the arrests point to human negligence, the broader context of dry conditions and a Red Flag Fire Alert issued on March 20 suggests that systemic environmental factors may have amplified the fire’s spread, raising questions about whether individual blame fully addresses the underlying risks.
