2 Lawn-Mowing Seniors Face $37M Bill Over Wildfire

[Suzanimal]

Out of curiosity, how do lawnmowers start fires?

(Newser) – Two men suspected of starting a wildfire last year that scorched 40 square miles of Oregon forestland could soon get a bill for at least $37 million, reports AP. Jeff Bonebrake with the Oregon Department of Forestry says they're still finalizing firefighting costs for the 2015 Stouts Creek fire that burned east of Canyonville. The agency will send a bill once that's done. The Oregonian reports that fire investigators believe 70-year-old Dominic Decarlo and 64-year-old Cloyd Deardorff used their lawnmowers during hours prohibited by fire restrictions when the blaze started July 30, 2015.

Kyle Reed with the Douglas Forest Protective Association says the men were cited for unlawful use of fire. Decarlo paid $110 in fines and Deardorff paid $440. But Oregon also holds individuals financially responsible for fire suppression costs. The men could not be reached for comment. Bonebrake says people can challenge the costs or their responsibility in the fire.

http://www.newser.com/story/229962/2...-wildfire.html

[John F Kennedy III]

That's 40 square miles of perfect soil for new forest growth.

[Anti Federalist]

Three Felonies a Day.

[angelatc]

Wait - I thought we paid taxes to avoid personal financial responsibility for such things.

[Brian4Liberty]

Out of curiosity, how do lawnmowers start fires?

http://www.newser.com/story/229962/2...-wildfire.html

Internal combustion went external?

[Suzanimal]

Internal combustion went external?

I've had two cars that caught on fire. I forgot about that.

[roho76]

They should send the government a bill for twice that for clearing their forest for new growth they they neglected.

[oyarde]

How can they prove a specific mower started a blaze ?

[Dr.3D]

They should send the government a bill for twice that for clearing their forest for new growth they they neglected.

Yeah, many communities cut your grass for you and send you a bill, if you don't cut it yourself. Maybe they should charge the government, since the government didn't cut it's grass and they had to do it for them.

[Suzanimal]

How can they prove a specific mower started a blaze ?

The wildfire sparked July 30, 2015, forced evacuations and destroyed timber, said Kyle Reed, a fire prevention specialist at the Douglas Forest Protective Association. Investigators spent months trying to pinpoint the cause, and their research ultimately pointed to the same men: Dominic Decarlo, 70, of Days Creek, and Cloyd Deardorff, 64, of Yuma, Arizona.

The cause? Their lawnmowers.

At the time, fire restrictions barred any mowing between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. The Stouts Creek fire started in the afternoon.

Both men were cited for unlawful use of fire, Reed said. Deardorff also was cited for unlawful entry into a restricted forestland area, court records show. Decarlo paid $110 in fines and Deardorff paid $440.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-no...37_millio.html