Hilary Brooke Inman, 38, of Marion has been cited and charged for inadvertently starting a prominent wildfire in McDowell County that has significantly impacted air quality in Mitchell County in recent days.
According to an N.C. Forest Service release, Inman was charged under a state law that makes it illegal to start a fire on grassland, brushland or woodland without fully extinguishing it.
According to Tim Engrav, the fire public information officer for National Forests in North Carolina, the Jumping Branch fire was started by someone smoking.
“The cause of the wildfire has been determined to be improperly discarded smoking material that occurred on private property Sunday, March 29,” Engrav said in an earlier email update.
The Jumping Branch Fire was 95 percent contained as of this past weekend, according to the U.S. Forest Service’s final update.
“As downed branches and other heavy forest fuels continue to smolder well within the interior of the fire area, smoke will be visible from the communities of Buck Creek, Marion, and surrounding areas,” Engrav said. “The Jumping Branch fire is burning in an area heavily affected by Hurricane Helene, where an extensive number of downed trees are contributing to increased wildfire intensity and risk.”
When the Jumping Branch Fire was still growing, residents of Mitchell County were also warned to expect smoke affecting air quality.
Suppression of this and other area fires was a joint operation between local, federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, the North Carolina Forest Service, McDowell County Emergency Management, and Pleasant Gardens Fire & Rescue.