January 5, 2025

Man arrested, charged with arson in Maggie Valley dance hall fire

A man has been arrested and charged in connection to a fire that broke out at the Stompin’ Ground dance hall in Maggie Valley on Friday, Dec. 27.

John Mark Evans, 44, is charged with arson-burning of an unoccupied commercial structure, according to Maggie Valley Police Chief Matt Boger.

The blaze at the Stompin’ Ground was reported around 2:22 p.m. on Dec. 27, according to Maggie Valley officials. The fire burned at the front of the building of the dance hall but was then extinguished with minimal damage to the structure, per a joint release from the Maggie Valley Police Department and Maggie Valley Fire and Rescue.

“Mr. Evans became a suspect very quickly in this investigation,” said Chief Boger. “He does have a pretty lengthy criminal history. We’ve dealt with Mr. Evans numerous times in Maggie Valley, [but] never to this magnitude.”

Chief Boger says several people witnessed Evans in the middle of the day, right along Soco Road at the fire scene, many snapping pictures and taking videos.

“It’s no secret he was adding fuel to the fire, it looked like. It’s a pretty bold, pretty bold statement for someone to make, especially in an arson-type of investigation. I think right now the motive for the fire is to be determined. But, that is something that we’re currently investigating,” said Boger.

Stompin’ Ground dance hall in Maggie Valley, N.C. days after the fire.

Boger says that Evans’ arson charge only applies to the fire at Stompin’ Ground, not the fire that took place at the Heart of the Valley Motel on Dec. 21, which was also in Maggie Valley.

“At this time, we’re not really going to release any information up on the motel and the possible connection to it. Preliminary – it does not look like they are connected. But, that is something we do have under investigation,” said Boger.

As the investigation unfolds with help from the SBI, Boger says his department is in contact with the family that owns both properties.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *