Firestarter
As long as I live, I will never understand Terry Barton. I don’t know what was going through her mind when she started the Hayman Fire, and I can’t begin to speculate on whether she did it accidentally by burning a letter or on purpose for attention; but either way, I hope she pays. In addition to financial restitution and prison time, I believe she should have to face each and every firefighter who risked their lives to control this blaze and every man, woman, and child who lost their home or were forced to evacuate because of her stupidity.
I was ready to string up the moronic “male camper” I envisioned starting this fire, but I am so much more disgusted now that I know it was a forest services worker who knew exactly what she was unleashing when she started this fire. I don’t believe in capital punishment, but cases like these make me wish I did. Wild fires are a part of nature and every year, we will have to face them, but when people carelessly start them without regard, they must be held accountable. I don’t care if it is an accident or not. “Well meaning lack of knowledge is not an excuse.”
June 21st, 2002 at 8:35 pm
It should be treated the same as arson.
I’m sure they have punishments for ‘on purpose’
and ‘accidental’. I think they should apply in these cases.
This is, after all, a mother of a fire !