Florida man charged with starting Edneyville wildfire, Forest Service reports

Dean Hensley, Hendersonville Times-News
Updated ·2 min read

A Florida man has been charged with starting the Poplar Drive Fire on Bald Top Mountain in Edneyville, 13 days after the fire began on Nov. 3, according to the North Carolina Forest Service.

In a Nov. 16 news release, the Forest Service reported that the cause of the wildfire has been determined to be a debris burn that occurred on private property Thursday, Oct. 26, eight days earlier. Duff Swan, 51, of Maitland, Florida, was cited and charged with North Carolina General Statute 14-140.1, the release said.

A look at the fire damage caused by the Poplar Drive Fire on Bald Top Mountain on Nov. 8, the sixth day of the fire.
A look at the fire damage caused by the Poplar Drive Fire on Bald Top Mountain on Nov. 8, the sixth day of the fire.

That statute states that "any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity who shall burn any brush, grass, or other material whereby any property may be endangered or destroyed, without keeping and maintaining a careful watchman in charge of the burning, shall be guilty of an infraction which may include a fine of not more than $50. Fire escaping from the brush, grass, or other material while burning shall be prima facie evidence of violation of this provision."

"The penalty is up to a $50 fine. Court costs and whatever penalty is decided upon by a judge," Philip Jackson, the public information officer for the Forest Service, told the Times-News on Nov. 16.

Burnt trees are on the ground at Bald Top Mountain in Edneyville due to a wildfire that began on Nov. 3.
Burnt trees are on the ground at Bald Top Mountain in Edneyville due to a wildfire that began on Nov. 3.

The Poplar Drive Fire started Nov. 3 and was at first just 8 acres in size. Due to drought conditions and also windy conditions during the first few days, the fire quickly spread and was up to 431 acres in size by Nov. 5.

The latest update from the Forest Service on Nov. 16 said the fire was 98% contained and remained 434 acres in size.

More relief is coming for the firefighters still working at the fire. According to the National Weather Service, showers are likely before midnight, then there will be an increased chance of rain between midnight and 4 a.m. Nov. 17. The chance of rain for Nov. 17 is 60%. with precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Cause determined: Florida man charged with starting Edneyville wildfire