A man who started a forest fire in the Hichiti Experimental Woods in 2022 was sentenced to 20 years.
“He had a methamphetamine problem. At some point, he decided it would be a good idea to set a couch on fire,” Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney T. Wright Barksdale told WMAZ.
The sofa wasn't the only thing that burned. About 687 acres of federal forest did as well. And, it burned for an entire day before someone saw it.
Michael Autheman, 60, was charged with arson.
Georgia Forestry Chief Ranger Marcus Beasley explained that due to controlled burns in the area, there wasn't a lot of damage. But, it could have been much worse.