Blairsville man arrested for arson following North Carolina–Georgia state line fires
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office
A man has been arrested following an investigation into multiple fires that were deliberately set in wooded and brush areas near the North Carolina–Georgia state line, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
Kevin James Roper, 48 of Blairsville, Georgia has been arrested in connection to these fires.
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.
Additional fires were reported in February 2026 in the Martins Creek Community.
On February 22, 2026, deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office responded to one of the fires as part of the ongoing investigation.
On March 10, 2026, 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, the CCSO says.
Roper was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center.
Roper was released after posting a $25,000 secured bond.
He is scheduled to appear in Cherokee County District Court on April 7, 2026.
The investigation remains ongoing.
“Intentionally setting fires is not a prank and it’s not a minor offense. These crimes endanger lives, destroy property, and put firefighters and innocent families at serious risk. Anyone who deliberately sets a fire in this community will be pursued aggressively and held fully accountable under the law. We will not tolerate reckless actions that threaten the safety of our citizens and our land.”-Sheriff Wood said.
