S.C. wildfire suspect reaches deal to avoid jail sentence
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A woman accused of setting the massive Carolina Forest wildfire in March will not serve jail time after reaching an agreement with prosecutors.
Alexandra Bialousow’s trial was scheduled to start Monday, but her attorney said she and the South Carolina Forestry Commission agreed to a diversion program.
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The agreement means there is no plea and the charges will be expunged once she completes training or community service.
Bialousow is accused of starting a fire to burn debris on March 1 in a backyard pit.
The fire burned for two months before it was extinguished.
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Her attorney, Jonny McCoy, said Bialousow was falsely accused, and the accusation turned the mother of two’s life upside down.
“It was very traumatic experience,” Bialousow said. “People gossiping. I was even afraid to come to my house for a few days, and I have kids, and I was worried about their mental health because they go to schools and people gossip all the time.”
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The South Carolina Forestry Commission claimed Bialousow “did not have an appropriate water source readily available” or “any garden tools on hand to control the fire.”
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