Hunters Spark Five-Acre Wildfire While Trying to Retrieve Stuck Chevrolet Silverado

So who has to pay for this?

A group of hunters in Colleton County, South Carolina caused a wildfire on Saturday that burned five acres of forest when a truck they were driving became stuck on a backwoods trail.

Live 5 News reports that the group used water and fire extinguishers in efforts to unsuccessfully containing the fire, and even hooked up another pickup to pull the burning Chevrolet Silverado away from the area to limit the damage. It’s unclear if they tried towing the truck out of the mud initially, but doing so might have prevented the whole situation as the vehicle was later declared a total loss. By the time fire crews arrived, it was “fully involved," meaning that the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames.

It's unclear if the heat that started the fire was from the truck’s exhaust or maybe from spinning the tires too long, but with the below-average rainfall in the area recently, it probably didn't take much to spark the blaze in the nearby dry grass. Colleton County, which covers an area west and south of Charleston, saw extreme drought conditions earlier this year and was just moved back into drought status following yet another dry spell.


Officials blame this as well as winds for quickly spreading the fire. Much of the blaze was out of reach for standard fire equipment, so first responders used hand tools and backpacks to try and control the flames. They managed to slow things down until a tractor from the Forestry Commission was able to cut a line around the fire and contain it.

 

With a drought, they were probably too excited when the found the only mud hole in the county.

 

Well there is your Friday conversation just a bit early.

 

Who’s responsible for what? Taxes pay for the firefighters efforts and equipment used unless it was set on purpose. If on purpose then it’s arson and they all pay with a class C felony, at minimum.
I’m a paid firefighter and say this with absolute confidence I’m correct.

 

I understand that every state does it different but I was under the impression if you start a fire you have some kind of financial responsibility or I am wrong on this?

https://kutv.com/news/get-gephardt/...efty-face-fines-criminal-charges-records-show

 

We almost never fine the offender if it's on accident. 1 guy who has had an "accident" fire in the same pasture 3 years in a row got fined last year, $2,500.
Your first story says 5 acres. That's pretty much nothing.
Your second story talks about 10's of 1,000's of federal land acreage. That's a whole other ballgame & the feds will get that ass!

 

Here in the (541) if its your fault and fire season restrictions are in place for driving off unimproved roads you are on the hook for the cost of all public and private suppression efforts.