Dec. 27—The Stompin’ Grounds, an iconic landmark in Maggie Valley, caught fire Friday afternoon in what authorities suspect to be arson.
A man is in police custody who’s been identified as a “person of interest.” The suspect — who was seen feeding the fire then fleeing the scene in broad daylight — was captured by the town’s fire chief before the blaze was even extinguished.
The motel that burned to the ground last weekend is owned by the same family as The Stompin’ Ground.
“The fire is believed to have been caused by arson,” according to a joint statement by the Maggie Valley Police Department and Fire Department.
It came as a shock to Burton Edwards, who grew up clogging at the Stompin’ Grounds, to see his beloved dance hall burn just days after losing the Heart of the Valley Motel to a fire.
Edwards said the Haywood fire marshal, Maggie Valley fire chief and an insurance adjuster were actually on site at the motel doing some follow-up investigation Friday afternoon when the fire at the Stompin’ Ground broke out. Since the motel is next door to the Stompin’ Ground, they were quick to respond.
“They looked at the smoke and ran out,” Edwards said.
Maggie Valley Fire Chief Scott Sutton, who is also the former Maggie police chief, sprung into action. Eyewitnesses described the vehicle the man drove away in, and Sutton’s old law enforcement training kicked in
“He ran him down, got him arrested, then ran back to the fire. Praise God. Even the fire marshal were fighting the fire. If they had not got it out in 3 or 4 minutes, then it would have burned to the ground,” Edwards said. “It’s insane.”
Moments before, two eye witnesses saw a man in a pick-up truck, parked on the sidewalk in front of the building, chucking objects into the burning entry way.
Flames that hadn’t been there just moments before were suddenly burning bright, leaping from the entry way and lapping up the tall wooden barn-like facade. The man was seen reaching into the back of his pick-up truck, grabbing out what appeared to be pieces of wood, and chucking them into the roaring flames.
“I was cooking lunch, and my wife said, ‘It looks like the Stompn’ Ground is on fire.’ I looked up and it looked like a guy was throwing stuff in the fire,” said Ty Edwards, who lives across the street.
Meanwhile, Pat McKee was driving past the Stompin’ Ground when he reported seeing a man actively feeding the blaze. He had the wherewithal to pull out his phone and begin videoing. As McKee drove by, the man returned to the back of his truck, reached in and got more sticks of wood, and walked back to the fire to throw it in again.
“The Stompin’ Ground’s on fire mama,” McKee said, narrating the video. “I just watched that guy do it. That guy did it right there. He’s burning it down. Let me turn around. That guy right there. That guy right there.”
Edwards said he accepted ownership of the Stompin’ Ground from his father just days before the blaze. Although lamenting he lacked insurance for the building at the time of the fire, Edwards said with confidence he plans to rebuild both the historic dance hall as well as the historic hotel.
Edwards added, due to quick action from the Maggie Valley Fire Department, the damage from Friday’s fire almost entirely centered on the front portion of the building, around the barn doors, but spared the dance floor and trophy case.
“I think more will come out. We love Maggie Valley. We worked so hard on this motel, and we’re going to build it back. We’re going to fix it back. You can bet on it. God is going to help us,” he said.
He had nothing but praise for Maggie fire fighters who battled the motel fire over the weekend for nearly 24 hours, but were unable to put it out.
“It’s not their fault. They were there within two minutes, they used the foam and used everything they had. They would get it out and it would move two units down and come back. Then they’d get that out and it would move another few units down and come back,” Edwards said. “I’m still asking myself questions. How is this possible?”
According to a press release from the Maggie Valley Fire Department, MVFD Engine 17 arrived on scene around 2:20 p.m. to find a working fire at the front of the The Stompin’ Ground.
“A person of interest has been identified, and authorities believe this to be an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the community,” the joint statement said. “Maggie Valley Police Department is currently leading the investigation, working alongside the Haywood County Fire Marshal and state authorities.”
The person of interest was not identified in the statement. However, a 44-year-old Maggie Valley man named John Mark Evans was booked into the Haywood County Detention Center sometime Friday afternoon. No charges appeared immediately with the booking, but Evans matched the description of a man spotted stoking the flames of the fire in the eyewitness video.
Reporters Andrew Marshall and Aarik Long contributed to this story.