| Contact Information | Date |
|---|---|
| For Immediate Release Contact: John Campbell 434.220.9070 434.989.0665 |
Oct. 16, 2006 VDOF06033 |
Firefighters Learn How to Determine Arson, Other Causes of Wildland Fires in Virginia
Deep in the woods of Virginia just off a country road, a wildland fire burns 20 acres of forest land. Was the cause of the fire lightning? A carelessly tossed cigarette butt? Or was it arson?
This week, firefighters are learning how to “read the signs;” interview witnesses, and prepare cases for court – all in an effort to help them determine who and/or what caused the fire.
[Note to editors and reporters: A news opportunity exists Thursday (Oct. 19) afternoon from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. as the students conduct an investigation into the cause of a fire. This exercise will take place at the New Kent Forestry Center, located on Route 60 eastbound in Providence Forge, New Kent County. If you are interested in this story, please contact John Campbell at 434.220.9070 or 434.989.0665.]
“The leading cause of wildland fire in Virginia is debris burning. The second leading cause is arson,” said John Miller, director of resource protection with the Virginia Department of Forestry. “The more firefighters know about the origin and cause of wildland fires, the better prepared they are to bring to justice those who intentionally or unintentionally set fires to Virginia woodlands.”
So far this year, there have been 1,209 wildland fires in the Commonwealth. These fires have burned nearly 13,000 acres and damaged or destroyed 58 buildings.
“Almost all of our fires we’ve had this year have been caused by humans and, thus, were preventable,” said Miller. “Once we’ve helped suppress the fire, our focus shifts to determining how the fire started and who started it. Sometimes the cause is accidental, but other times we’re dealing with arsonists.”
Virginia law requires the State Forester to collect the costs of fire fighting… “from any person who, negligently or intentionally without using reasonable care and precaution starts a fire or who negligently or intentionally fails to prevent its escape….”
Suppression costs can run from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. An arsonist convicted of a Class VI felony faces a prison term of between one and five years, in addition to the suppression costs.
The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, there are Forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide service to citizens of the Commonwealth. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.
With nearly 16 million acres of forest land and more than 248,000 Virginians employed in the forest products industry, Virginia forests provide more than $30 Billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.
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