MYRTLE BEACH, SC- The Conway man accused of starting a fire near his home that eventually led to one of the largest wildfires in South Carolina history pleaded guilty today, but did not take responsibility for the wildfire.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE
Click here to read more about this fire.
A jury trial was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning for Mark Torchi.
He walked in at the Myrtle Beach Magistrate’s Court accused of starting the state's second largest wildfire back in April in Horry County.
Torchi told the judge that he admits starting a fire in his backyard that go out of control on April 18th but he called firefighters to come and put it out. He added that he thought that was the end of it.
"I just want to point out to the court that my client takes no responsibility what so ever in the fire that occurred later on in the week,” said Torchi’s attorney Paul Taylor.
Members of the South Carolina Forestry Commission said they have reasons to believe the destructive fire was linked to Torchi's backyard burn.
"Our investigation based on all the evidence we saw all the statements from the witnesses the burn pattern indicators out in the field point us to the origin area in his backyard as the same origin area where the fire from April 22nd came from,” said Forest Protection Chief Darryl Jones.
Some close by neighbors also showed up with Torchi inside the courtroom.
"Pretty much the whole neighborhood does it,” Torchi’s neighbor Connie Raymo, “and I know him very well he's a great friend of ours and has been for a very long time and he would never do anything intentionally and the slander he had to take his family the ridicule was unheard of."
The judge ordered Torchi to pay a fine of $732 for not notifying the SC Forestry Commission and for letting a fire spread. He was ordered to pay the fine by Nov.16th or serve 30 days in jail.
Forestry Commissioners ticketed Torchi for starting a fire near his Conway home. They say the fire he made rekindled and started the big Horry County wildfire in April.
The fire burned nearly 20,000 acres and destroyed 76 homes.
Torchi told reporters he called Horry County firefighters to put out the fire that he started, and they said it was extinguished.
Torchi requested a jury trial after being ticketed. It was originally scheduled to begin Thursday, Oct. 22, but was delayed.
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