topic Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires! in Community Chat

FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

On It — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 00:18:09 GMT

My husband just saw this on X:

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

PamfromCT — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 00:25:05 GMT

@On It, I hope you are doing ok. Do I understand that your home was spared? I sure hope so.

I can bet there will be many people adding sums to this reward money. Money talks.

Everyone continues to feel badly for all the pain and suffering

inflicted by this fire.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

On It — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 00:35:21 GMT

@PamfromCT Thank you. We are safe. A friend has seen our house, and it is fine. A man has been posting videos of streets and passed by our home. I was glad to see the area myself. So many others were not so fortunate.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

SilleeMee — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 00:35:56 GMT

The largest fire in Colorado history was started by a USFS fire spotter in 2002 during a fire ban that she was enforcing at the time. She admitted to the crime after the fact but it was never known why she started the fire to begin with. She lied and the truth never came out.

Terry Lynn Barton pleaded guilty to two felony counts: setting fire to federal forest land and lying to investigators. She spent time in jail, was ordered to pay $42,501,424.55 in restitution, and has been on probation for the past ten years.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

Nonametoday — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 00:52:20 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
The largest fire in Colorado history was started by a USFS fire spotter in 2002 during a fire ban that she was enforcing at the time. She admitted to the crime after the fact but it was never known why she started the fire to begin with. She lied and the truth never came out.

Terry Lynn Barton pleaded guilty to two felony counts: setting fire to federal forest land and lying to investigators. She spent time in jail, was ordered to pay $42,501,424.55 in restitution, and has been on probation for the past ten years.

@SilleeMee

and she didn't have $42 million, 500 thousand so they let her get off with paying her attorney fees. I'm just joking. How many people who are working in positions like that would have that kind of money. Sarcasm off now.

My guess is no matter how much money they offer, the person who set the fires will never be found. I sure wish they would but it is doubtful.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

Sakuya — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 01:12:25 GMT

So it's true? They were started on purpose? All that devastation....on purpose. I don't even know what to say.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

1Snickers — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 01:19:28 GMT

@On It I'm so glad your home is safe! You've been very brave escaping, driving and leaving it all behind.
I hope they find those responsible and prosecute them.
🥺 🙂

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

spiderw — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 02:35:18 GMT

On It

Thankfully you and your family are well and your home not harmed. What a frightening ordeal everyone has been through.

I do hope the person or persons who started the fires are caught, held accountable jailed and fined.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

patbz — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 03:10:52 GMT

The year before we moved to White Mtns AZ there was the Rodeo fire that burned well over 100,000 acres; a fire fighter started it.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

Etoile308 — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 03:27:02 GMT

@Sakuya wrote:
So it's true? They were started on purpose? All that devastation....on purpose. I don't even know what to say.

I think without information it's too soon to state a fire was set on purpose. All the statement indicated was they felt an individual or individuals were responsible. That doesn't yet mean intentional. That may eventually be the case, but fires do start for many reasons. Being careless is one of them.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

Sakuya — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 03:29:49 GMT

That is true.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

Nonametoday — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 03:51:31 GMT

@Etoile308 wrote:

@Sakuya wrote:
So it's true? They were started on purpose? All that devastation....on purpose. I don't even know what to say.

I think without information it's too soon to state a fire was set on purpose. All the statement indicated was they felt an individual or individuals were responsible. That doesn't yet mean intentional. That may eventually be the case, but fires do start for many reasons. Being careless is one of them.

@Sakuya @Etoile308

I think we are getting stories all comingled. The story that SillieMee told was about an intentional setting by an employee who was found guilty, receiving a fine and imprisonment. That is not the same story as what was set recently.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

On It — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 08:29:54 GMT

@Sakuya I believe the fires were intentionally set. The two huge fires began miles apart in mountainous terrain. The infrared mapping shows the distance between the start points.

We received this notice.

I turned on the scanner and was listening to the first responders. About the time they announced the South Fork Fire had grown to the size of 15 acres, I heard the Mescalero Summit fire department mention they had a start. They responded to it. Then they mentioned a second fire there. They were successful in suppressing one of the fires, but the second one grew to be the Salt Fire.

Meanwhile, the South Fork fire was growing. An increased air attack was ordered. This is the first photo of the South Fork Fire.

My husband watched the South Fork fire from our front porch while I was monitoring the scanner. The Salt Fire was not visible from our porch area because of the distance between the two. We did not see the Salt Fire until we were evacuating. We were confused when it came into view. We knew the other fire was behind us and now we had a fire to our front right. I realized it was the second fire.

These two large fires this far apart were not started accidentally. It was a clear day. We had no lightening that could have been the cause of three fires. Some have said there were five. I listened to the fight against three different ones on the scanner. I heard the firefighter announce the third fire was 50% contained and under control. There is no explanation other than they were ignited by humans.

A lady posted there had been an arrest. I did not want to acknowledge that as fact because for some time her statement was not documented by any other reports. Then I saw the word arson in another account that mentioned one arrested and other suspects were being sought. People were saying the FBI was involved. When the award was posted, I knew the rumors were true.

There are six or seven state and federal fire investigators working to determine the cause of the fire. The statement was issued that Alto is a federal crime scene. It seems to me the entire burned area is a crime scene. They may determine another cause, but I highly doubt it.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

Sakuya — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 12:01:07 GMT

Thank you for providing such detailed information. The factors known do seem to point to intentionally being set. I don't understand the mindset of anyone doing such a thing on purpose.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

gardenman — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 13:12:42 GMT

@Sakuya wrote:
Thank you for providing such detailed information. The factors known do seem to point to intentionally being set. I don't understand the mindset of anyone doing such a thing on purpose.

Mental illness is likely the mindset. Sometimes, people are motivated to do things like that to make a point. We have climate activists who deface valuable artwork and glue themselves to roads. Would those same people not start fires to prove that "the world is on fire!" as is a common talking point for them? There are a lot of crazy people out there.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

Oznell — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 15:13:15 GMT

Wow, @On It , it's disheartening that these were in all likelihood, intentionally set. When you think of the potential loss of life, harm to wildlife, hideous, long-term damage to this beautiful area-- just from one reprehensible action.

The phenomenon of those far-ranging, smoky Canadian fires of last year, was at least partially instigated by arson as well. One guy ultimately pled guilty to starting 14 of them-- horrible.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

just bee — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 15:31:09 GMT

@gardenman wrote:
@Sakuya wrote:
Thank you for providing such detailed information. The factors known do seem to point to intentionally being set. I don't understand the mindset of anyone doing such a thing on purpose.
Mental illness is likely the mindset. Sometimes, people are motivated to do things like that to make a point. We have climate activists who deface valuable artwork and glue themselves to roads. Would those same people not start fires to prove that "the world is on fire!" as is a common talking point for them? There are a lot of crazy people out there.

@gardenman

I'm a psychiatric nurse living in Albuquerque and I have to say I agree with you.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

BlueFinch — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 16:55:02 GMT

Two fires breaking out, this distance from one another, does look highly suspicious for being intentional. I hope the investigation leads to the culprit(s), with the most serious of consequences.

Of course we don't know if mental illness is involved. But, yes, there are a lot of unbalanced individuals amongst us now. A sign of our times.

It seems more so, than in my earlier work in Psychiatry. More antisocials, with little regard for anyone, or anything. Causing suffering is entertaining for them. They'll grin right through it.

If truly intentional, I hope if not apprehended, they don't attempt another fire somewhere and that it doesn't start copycat behaviors, at other sites. This is worrisome.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

On It — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 19:28:40 GMT

I have seen multiple reports that one is in custody and others are at large. This is a federal case from what I understand. The gossip is rampant, but it was correct about the arson.

Re: FBI Reward for Individual(s) Setting Wildfires!

Sakuya — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 21:11:27 GMT

Multiple individuals involved seems motive may be something other than mental illness.