Whats new!We always foot the bill!

[coldfront]

:mad: Taxpayers to pay thousands for Pender County brush fire

May 2007 -

PENDER COUNTY -- It looks like taxpayers are going to shell out the thousands of dollars it cost to put out a Pender County brush fire started by two men.

The Division of Forest resources says they will not pursue reimbursement from George Dale and James Kye.

The men are charged with a class-three misdemeanor for the April 23 fire.

Investigators say the men had a burn permit and the fire was started accidentally.

The total cost to battle the Sidbury Road and Highway 17 near Buckshot Road brushfires is about $300,000.

[OlieCan]

That sucks it happened, but if it was an accident, and they had a burn permit, it doesn't appear as if they're criminals or anything... Unless Im missing something?

[EFD840]

That sucks it happened, but if it was an accident, and they had a burn permit, it doesn't appear as if they're criminals or anything... Unless Im missing something?

Depends on the state. In Alabama, even with a permit you have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent the fire from escaping. If you don't, you can be held accountable for the costs or even criminally charged.

[ecclesmd]

In our county there is no such thing as a burn permit. People burn trash and other stuff all the time and we get paged out to as a grass fire or structure fire to find out when we get there that it's a trash fire or other controled burn...

[KnightnPBIArmor]

Depends on the state. In Alabama, even with a permit you have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent the fire from escaping. If you don't, you can be held accountable for the costs or even criminally charged.

Same thing in Georgia....