PICKENS COUNTY — The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by authorities from the Easley Fire Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, has completed an investigation into a suspicious fire that occurred at a residence in Easley earlier this month.
On the morning of Feb. 2, a homeowner reported a fire inside her residence at 130 Maple Way in Easley.
Two rooms inside the home sustained damage and an investigation surrounding the circumstances of the fire has determined that the incident was not accidental and the fire was intentionally started by the sole occupant of the house.
A sheriff’s detective presented information to a Pickens County Magistrate on Feb. 8 at which time two arrest warrants were issued for 67-year-old Nellie Mae Durham.
Durham was charged with intentionally setting fire to her home with the intent to receive insurance funds stemming from a false claim.
Durham was arrested at the Law Enforcement Center on Tuesday afternoon after turning herself over to authorities. She was charged with third-degree arson and presenting a false insurance claim.
Bond was set at $10,000 on the arson charge and $5,000 on the false insurance claim charge. She was released on personal recognizance bonds.
