The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

June 1, 2011

Arsonists start one-fifth of forest fires

By Mannix Porterfield Register-Herald Reporter

BECKLEY — Perhaps it’s a measure of revenge.

Maybe it comes as a way to combat boredom, or merely as an attention-getting device for some folks.

Whatever the hidden motives that guide them, arsonists account for about one-fifth of West Virginia’s forest fires, right behind debris burning and equipment-caused blazes.

An unusually wet spring kept the fire count lower than a year ago, the Division of Forestry reported Tuesday, with 321 fires recorded from New Year’s Day to May 31, burning some 1,715 acres.

In contrast, in the corresponding period of 2010, there were 413 fires that scorched 12,067 acres.

Debris burning led to 135 of this spring’s fires, while there were 80 prompted by equipment, and 60 were set on purpose, said Leslie Fitzwater, a spokesperson for the division.

In some instances, the equipment fires were caused by a spark emitted from an all-terrain vehicle with a poor exhaust system, or by the use of a chain saw.

“It varies some,” Fitzwater said.

“Some would be commercial folks, and some are also private citizens.”

Arson still remains a major concern for the division, since such fires ranked third in this spring’s outbreak, she said.

“Personally, I don’t have an understanding of why you want to do something like that,” Fitzwater said.

“There is a whole profile that’s been done on arsonists and why they do what they do. There’s a criminal profile that is done by professionals. For some folks, that’s a way to get attention. There also is a motive for revenge. We’ve had incidents where people are no longer allowed to hunt on property or ride ATVs on property because of a change in ownership or something like that and they set fire on other people’s land because of that.”

In the past, she said, there have been episodes of arson by volunteer firefighters acting out of boredom.

“So, they went out and set a fire so they could be called out on a fire,” Fitzwater said.

“Those are exceptions for the most part. People are very good about being careful with fire. We do have some bad characters out there and they get their kicks by starting fires.”

For those who aren’t careful, Fitzwater reminded, the Legislature recently decided to raise the fines imposed for igniting forest fires.

Under the only system, a magistrate could use discretion of imposing a fine of zero up to a maximum of $300. Now, there’s a minimum of $100, with a ceiling of $1,000.

Lawmakers also moved back the legal burning hour to 5 p.m., beginning with the fall season Oct. 1.

“The potential for forest fires is greatest during the afternoon because of daytime heat, lower humidity and stronger winds,” Forester Randy Dye said.

“Even starting a fire an hour later at 5 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. will go a long way toward decreasing the risk of a fire spreading because of weather conditions.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com

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