Two men arrested in South Carolina charged in North Augusta arson investigation

Two men were arrested in Darlington, South Carolina on Thursday in connection to an alleged arson at Palmetto Place Apartments in North Augusta.

Nelson Dwayne Locklair, 41, and Brian Keon Byrd, 30, are charged with arson in the second degree and were extradited back to Aiken County on Friday, according to a news release from the North Augusta Department of Public Safety. They are being held in the Doris C. Gravit Detention Center.

On June 6, North Augusta Public Safety officers responded to a structure fire at an apartment in Palmetto Place Apartments, located at 1200 West Martintown Rd.

When officers arrived, they reported heavy smoke coming from one of the apartments, according to the release. Fire crews entered the apartment, extinguished the fire, and began clearing the smoke from the apartment.

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Initially, fire crews noticed there were multiple fires in different rooms of the apartment, according to the release. The apartment was secured and North Augusta Public Safety investigators responded to the scene to begin a possible arson investigation.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division arson investigators were notified and responded to the scene, according to the release. Through a joint investigation with North Augusta Public Safety, SLED Arson Division and SLED Forensics Division, Locklair and Byrd were identified and arrest warrants were obtained.