RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Authorities in Raleigh County say witness statements and video-recorded interviews have led to the identification of a suspect accused of intentionally setting multiple wildfires in the Hazy Creek area.
According to investigators, an audio-recorded statement was obtained on March 16, 2026, from a witness who reported seeing a man ignite a wildfire along Hazy Creek. The suspect was then seen getting into the passenger side of a green compact car and leaving the area.
The witness followed the vehicle toward the Hazy Creek Bridge and into the community of Edwight along West Virginia Route 3. While following the car, the witness reported spotting additional fires burning in the area.
A second witness later identified the driver of the green vehicle as Breanna Stanley. She told investigators she saw the same vehicle being followed and also observed a separate wildfire burning near the river below the Hazy Creek Bridge around the same time.
On March 23, 2026, deputies located the green vehicle at a residence on Coal River Road in Naoma. During an interview, Stanley confirmed she was driving the vehicle and told investigators she witnessed Jeremy Lee Cantley ignite a wildfire near the Hazy Creek Bridge along Route 3.
Stanley also reported that another fire had been set nearby on property owned by the Raleigh County Board of Education, as well as an additional blaze in the Hazy Creek area on land owned by a local company. She said they were followed by another vehicle after the fire was started.
Authorities allege Cantley is responsible for setting multiple fires in the area. The investigation remains ongoing.
