3 ms·

The conditions for wildfire do not arise out of neglect and laziness.

• dredmorbius 12y ago
  The conditions for risk from wildfire do arise out of a multitude of factors. Including discounting hazards, poor construction, insufficient warning or evacuation capabilities, and more. But more to the point: the conditions in which wildfires are common involve such insanely high risk of conflagration that the least spark can set them off. And do. When you've got to tell people not to mow lawns or trim brush for fear of stray sparks setting off tinder-dry brush, you're simply sitting on top of (or in the midst of) a bomb. And that is the reality in much of the world -- Australia, the western US, Greece, and elsewhere. Or a hot car exhaust from a parked vehicle. Or broken glass. Or, yes, flame in the form of cigarettes, a campfire, or barbecue. But except for the case of deliberate arson (which does happen), I find the practice of convicting people for what's essentially a mistake waiting to happen to be quite distasteful.