Man arrested in months-long arson probe near North Carolina-Georgia line

CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. — A man has been arrested after a months-long investigation into a series of intentionally set fires near the North Carolina-Georgia state line, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office says.

On March 10th investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Murphy Police Department, the North Carolina Forest Service, and the Georgia Forest Service arrested 48-year-old Kevin James Roper of Blairsville, Georgia.

Roper is suspected of setting multiple fires in wooded and brush areas near the state line. Roper has been charged with 10 counts of intentionally setting fire to grass, brushlands and woodlands.

The investigation began in late December 2025 after several suspicious fires were reported along Tate Road, an area that straddles the state line between Cherokee County, North Carolina, and Union County, Georgia.

Because of the location of the incidents and the nature of the fires, the North Carolina Forest Service and Georgia Forest Service initiated a joint investigation.

Additional fires were reported in February 2026 in the Martins Creek Community.

On February 22nd, deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office responded to one of the fires as part of the ongoing investigation.

On March 10th, the North Carolina Forest Service and the Georgia Forest Service requested assistance from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Murphy Police Department in taking Roper into custody.

Investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office made contact with Roper, who was taken into custody and transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center.

Roper was released after posting a $25,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Cherokee County District Court on April 7th.