A 77-year-old man is being charged $6.3 million by the U.S. Forest Service after an innocent burning of twigs and leaves outside his sons home turned into a major forest fire in 2012, the Associated Press reported.
James G. Anderson is being blamed by the Forest Service for starting a fire that almost evacuated the town of Jackson in Wyoming on Sep. 8, 2012 after he placed dry leaves and twigs in a barrel to burn around 6 a.m., according to the AP.
Investigators have determined the start of the fire was the burning barrel of twigs, which later spread across the land, the AP reported.
Anderson told investigators he noticed smoke outside through a garage window and called 911, the AP reported. Firefighters showed up to the home around 2:45 p.m. but the fire was already heading towards the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
The total cost of several firefighting agencies is about $9 million, but Anderson is being held accountable for $3.8 million due to the Forest Service and another $2 million to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, according to the AP.
Another $64,000 is owed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $154,000 to the National Park Service and $252,000 to the state of Wyoming and Teton County, the AP reported.
The fire dubbed the Horsethief Canyon Fire burned 5 square miles of the national Forest and was almost the cause of an immediate evacuation from the nearby town, the AP reported. Firefighters managed to contain the fire a couple miles outside of the town lines.
According to a copy of a bill sent to Anderson by the Forest Service, the amount was due on Dec. 13 and is the highest cost ever charged to a civilian, State Forester Bill Crasper told the AP.
"When the attempts have been made, it's fairly successful," Crapser said, according to the AP. "The problem is, when you're talking about a $6 million or $9 million fire cost, you're probably going to end up with whatever the insurance policy is on it."
John Powell, a U.S. attorney's office spokesman in Wyoming said no criminal charges have been filed and the civil case is still unresolved, the AP reported.
