Police: Bluffton man charged in Pine Ridge home fire appeared to be ‘panicking’ at scene

A Bluffton man who police said appeared to be “panicking” at the scene has been charged with second-degree arson in the wake of a Monday fire that destroyed his Pine Ridge home.

Kevin Wild, 34, was charged after the fire destroyed 3 Bristlestone Court. No injuries were reported in the blaze that was reported around 9:15 a.m., according to the Bluffton Township Fire District.

According to the Bluffton Police Department, Wild, the homeowner, lived at the home with a roommate and provided several different accounts of how the fire began when questioned by investigators.

“Wild appeared to be panicking around the house and had a distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his person,” according to the police department’s report.

The report says Wild told an officer that no one was inside the house. He also said he accidentally started the fire by lighting his grill at the back of the house, the report said. He was then seen inside the woodline behind this house on his phone and told officers he was making a payment to his home owner’s insurance.

A fire arson dog from Burton Fire Rescue was brought to the scene along with investigators of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to collaborate with the police department after firefighters found “suspicious activity” inside the home.

Wild was taken to the police department for an interview, the report said.

The joint SLED and Bluffton Police investigation determined an accelerant was used to start the fire, a police department news release said.

Bluffton Police spokesperson Joy Nelson said the investigation had so far determined no possible motive for the fire.

Wild was released from the detention center around 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the jail’s website. No bond information has yet been posted to the Beaufort County Court’s website.

Wild failed to pay the $1,377.78 property tax on the residence on time and now owes $1,584.45 on the home, according to Beaufort County Assessor records.

A phone number and Facebook page for Wild could not be found to seek comment.

This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Police: Bluffton man charged in Pine Ridge home fire appeared to be ‘panicking’ at scene."